[Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for Season 7 Part 2 of Outlander.]

The Starz collection Outlander simply had its Season 7 Half 2 finale, leaving the beloved characters on an optimistic observe to carry followers over till the ultimate season. After discovering their kidnapped son in 1980, Brianna (Sophie Skelton) introduced Jemmy and Mandy to 1739, in order that they might all be reunited with Roger (Richard Rankin). Figuring out that she will’t danger operating into her personal father when he comes house from college and never operating to return to a time interval that Rob Cameron inhabits, all that’s left for Brianna and Roger to determine is what time interval they need to take up residence and lift their household in. However you’ll have to remain tuned for Season 8 for that!

Throughout this one-on-one interview with Collider, Skelton talked about Brianna’s progress over the seasons, letting her mama bear out, how lonely it was to shoot this block of episodes as a result of the youngsters may solely work restricted hours, filming the reunion with Roger, why she’s tremendous happy with this level in Bree and Roger’s relationship, that Brianna needs to maintain her household collectively in a single time interval to any extent further, the “epic” closing season, and what has most stunned her in regards to the Outlander fandom. She additionally mentioned being excited to tackle new tasks, why she’d prefer to movie someplace with sunshine, and being open to the potential of one other long-running TV collection sooner or later.

Sophie Skelton Has Been Ready To Play This Model of Brianna for Eight Years on ‘Outlander’

Collider: Each season is de facto troublesome and emotionally difficult for these characters, however any time a baby is in peril or below menace, that might be heightened even additional. I actually recognize how lively your character was to find her son. Was it good to see the expansion that she’s needed to get her to the place she was in, on this half of the season? What was it like to actually let that mama bear come out?

SOPHIE SKELTON: It’s truly extraordinarily refreshing to let what I feel is Brianna, at her core, out. Once we began the present, there was so much I needed to rein again in. She was rather less mature, and rather less advanced. She didn’t know herself as effectively, and didn’t fairly know methods to deal with her feelings or her retailers. And so, there’s a lot of Brianna that I needed to simply let unfold because the seasons went on, and I used to be so desirous to get up to now. Really, I feel essentially the most genuine Brianna is the place she is simply uncooked and emotionally open. She’s such an empathetic individual and she or he is such a protecting individual. One factor for her is that she felt like she by no means actually had anyone to guard her. And so, in relation to the purpose that she actually could be a mum or dad, she’s gonna utterly try this.

The toughest elements for her on this season had been when she felt like she wasn’t in management, and she or he needed to relinquish that and let Roger go and discover Jemmy. A few episodes in the past, once we discover her within the kitchen, it simply reveals the helplessness and hopelessness of not with the ability to be within the driver’s seat of your personal youngster’s well-being. And so, what I like about this episode, and those earlier than it, is that she actually can take the reins a bit extra. I feel that’s when Brianna is in her factor. So, yeah, it was a aid for me, as an actor, to have the ability to play this model of Brianna, who I’ve been ready to play for eight years. For Brianna, it’s a aid as a result of her household’s again collectively. She realizes that that’s all that issues to her proper now and that’s all she wants. It doesn’t matter the place it’s or what’s occurring. Everybody with the ability to be in her arms is a security that she’s by no means recognized.

You described Brianna in an interview as being a little bit of a sizzling mess this season, and I don’t actually see it that approach as a result of she’s had one in all her kids taken and Roger’s in one other time interval, and that might push anybody to the restrict. You may give her a bit little bit of a room on the new mess of all of it.

SKELTON: For certain. Look, I’d by no means say “sizzling mess” with any judgment. One factor you’ll be able to by no means do is decide your character. And I, as an individual, am not a judgmental individual. However one factor you need to by no means do is decide your character as a result of then clearly you’ll be able to’t play it authentically. You’ve to have the ability to justify each choice your character makes and be on board with it, whether or not you agree or not. After I say “sizzling mess” it’s as a result of it’s only a plethora of feelings and shit, fairly frankly, that generally you simply don’t know the place to begin. When Rob Cameron involves the home and he’s simply not negotiating along with her, it’s that helplessness once more and that frustration. She has nothing at this level and has nothing to lose. That simply places you in a headspace that I’d describe as a boiling pan. It’s unpredictable.

Had been you at the least a bit impressed that she would decide up a gun and hearth it to guard her household? Do you assume she would have killed him if she had the prospect?

SKELTON: Completely. Yeah, I feel she would. She’s been by an excessive amount of. She’s not as hotheaded as she was. I do assume that she acts with a bit bit extra context and intelligence now. I’m not saying that she would do it from a spot of naïveté and being like, “Yeah, okay, cool. I can kill individuals and get away with it.” However her son has been taken. The one factor that’s nice about this season is that query of what lengths would you go to? Not simply the characters on display, however it makes you, as a viewer, examine in on that scenario. What would you do? If this man has your youngster, and your youngster may have gone to any time interval and also you would possibly by no means discover him, within the warmth of the second, what lengths would you go to? Brianna has simply been by a lot trauma and grown up in a time within the 18th century the place that was sadly only a norm. That completely is the place her muscle reminiscence defaults to now.

Sophie Skelton Loves That Brianna Was the One To Take Care of Her ‘Outlander’ Household

I additionally love that she is aware of Roger effectively sufficient to know that he wouldn’t ever return house with out their son, so she’s the one which needed to go discover him to reunite the household herself. Did it really feel additional particular to you that she was the one who truly bought her household again collectively?

SKELTON: Yeah. One factor that the present began out on was being very female-led, and we’re very happy with that. Clearly, it’s generally lovely to throw in a sprinkle of damsel in misery in there. That’s sensible. It’s undoubtedly nice that the writers and producers have remembered our roots and the place the present got here from and circle again to that. So, yeah, Brianna being the one to avoid wasting the day and the one to once more take the reins and take the danger and return and be the one who places the meals on the desk and the one who takes care of the household, I feel is a very cool message. That’s a very good message to ship out to a variety of the youthful followers which have grown up with Brianna. You are able to do all of it and also you don’t should depend on anyone. It’s wonderful when you’ll be able to, and Brianna can depend on Roger, but additionally, she will do that.

Not solely can this girl do all of it, however she will do all of it in a mess of time durations.

SKELTON: I do know. Even once I mentioned the “sizzling mess” factor, she was very stoic and she or he used to return throughout like she had, once more excuse my language, all her shit collectively. And really, what I like about her now’s that she’s much more susceptible and clear and uncooked in her feelings. Really, she’s freaking out. She doesn’t know what to do. Life actually is on prime of her, and one way or the other she digs in and she or he finds a approach. That could be a lovely factor I like in regards to the present. It’s not all sunshine and daisies, and we don’t make unimaginable stuff look simple. It’s very very similar to, are you aware what? Typically it’s okay to be at all-time low. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to really feel misplaced and never know what to do. That’s why I like a few of these scenes the place Brianna is on her personal, or she’s placing on a courageous face for Mandy. There’s a bit little bit of realism sprinkled in there, which I feel is de facto necessary for individuals to see.

How did you discover the expertise of filming chunk of the season aside from just about all the remainder of your forged? Normally you at the least have anyone with you. Did it really feel prefer it form of allowed additional room for her to develop, or did it simply really feel lonely and separated from all people else?

SKELTON: Yeah, it felt lonely. It perhaps, in a bizarre approach, allowed her to attach with herself a bit extra. I definitely felt that for these scenes the place Brianna sat on her personal, staring into area and feeling misplaced and there’s nothing she will do besides wait. In that silence is usually the place you re-find your self a bit bit, which I do know sounds actually corny, however in these moments, Brianna’s life is so busy. She’s a full-time working mother. She’s bought two youngsters. She’s renovating a home. There’s time journey, and all these items. In these moments the place she’s simply sitting on the sofa and Mandy is asleep and she or he has nothing, that usually is louder than if you’ve bought all of the noise occurring. It’s in these moments that you will discover essentially the most power as a result of these moments are fairly scary. I do assume she perhaps didn’t develop in these moments, however perhaps simply had a minute to sit down with herself for a second, which I don’t ever assume she will get the prospect to do. However yeah, for me, it was a bizarre season. Caitriona [Balfe] got here on set in the future as a result of I feel she had a scene after me or she was directing. She simply popped on and was like, “Wow, I didn’t actually notice how remoted you’ve been all season.” It was simply me, my damaged hand, and two youngsters. That’s why they wrote the damaged finger into the season as effectively. It was so much to cope with. I used to be going by some stuff.

After which, there are the issues that folks don’t even take into consideration who don’t know the way units are run or how issues are actually shot. I’d think about there have been instances if you had been doing scenes with the youngsters the place the youngsters weren’t even there as a result of they will solely work a specific amount of hours. So then, you’re much more alone than individuals notice as a result of it doesn’t look that approach within the scene.

SKELTON: Completely, and I like that you simply mentioned that. Yeah, with the youngsters’ hours and the breaks they should have and the period of time, clearly we shoot very lengthy days and the youngsters can solely do sure hours. They should have breaks each X period of time, however we match so much in a day. We don’t have time to simply cease taking pictures. It’s too massive of a present. So, yeah, most of these scenes will simply be me to a crew member on their knees, pretending to be Jemmy, which regularly is extra distracting. I’m like, “Simply put a mark on the wall for me, and I’ll discover that and simply do the scene with that.” So, sure, you’re proper, more often than not, it’s simply me appearing with me, or a tennis ball. There’s no emotion coming again at you then. You’ve gotta think about it.

What I actually cherished in regards to the reunion is that it’s performed out in two elements, with Roger seeing Jemmy first earlier than he knew that Brianna and Mandy had been additionally there. Was there a dialog about how that entire reunion ought to play out? Did you discuss or shoot any completely different variations of that second? Whenever you’re ready for thus lengthy for a second like that to occur, how do you even get it as excellent as you need it to be?

SKELTON: Really, I feel the writers just about had that in thoughts, that Jemmy emerged first. Clearly, a throughline of the season for them has been on the lookout for him, in order that was actually becoming. However us coming by the smoke was the toughest factor. In Scotland, we’re all the time battling the climate and the wind and every thing else, so the logistics of that scene was most likely the toughest bit, and youngsters’ hours and making an attempt to get the proper lighting, which is all the time difficult if you’re on location. However by way of the configuration of the order all of us got here by, that was truly fairly set. That was our one objective.

That was a double tear-jerker second.

SKELTON: Yeah, precisely. For us, as effectively. I feel that was the final shot collectively, which is all the time fairly good. You by no means know if, subsequent season, the youngsters can be older and so they received’t be in once more, so that you do truly get that genuine really feel of claiming goodbye. And to Lallybroch, as effectively.

Whenever you assume again to who Brianna was, the primary day you walked onto the set, now that you simply’ve completed the entire collection and you’ll take into consideration what it’s, as a complete, does this specific second really feel like a kind of necessary factors in her story that may all the time be an necessary level in her story?

SKELTON: Yeah, it does. Brianna had two mother and father, then she had one, then she had none, then she had one, then two, then none. She most likely has some abandonment points. She’s very a lot been on her personal. She doesn’t have siblings. She doesn’t have grandparents. She’s been fairly a lonely child, and she or he’s had nothing in need of so much to cope with in her life and a variety of loss. And so, for her to really have her family and for them to be again in a time once they can, collectively, perhaps go discover her mother and father once more, perhaps not, or arrange life there. The idea of her youngsters having an uncle, or a terrific uncle, is fantastic to Brianna as a result of she simply by no means had household. So, yeah, that scene actually did imply so much as a result of she’s been determined for that, her entire life. It’s been taken away from her, time and time once more. Now actually looks like a time when she’s been to hell and again, and no matter occurs now, we’re coping with it as a household. We’re not splitting up. That’s such a contemporary feeling for her. It’s such a personality peak for her as a result of I simply assume it’s a degree of life that she’s by no means actually had earlier than. The idea of everybody with the ability to be collectively and the prolonged household is surreal to her.

‘Outlander’s Sophie Skelton Is Pleased with How Far Brianna and Roger Have Come

On the similar time that you simply’ve been exploring her arc, you’re additionally exploring the connection arc along with her and Roger. Whenever you consider the place their relationship bought to by the tip of this season, even by the tip of the collection as a complete, how does that journey really feel to you? Do you’re feeling happy now with the closure of their story?

SKELTON: Yeah, I’m tremendous happy with them, as characters. They each had a lot rising to do, individually and collectively. One factor that I’ve all the time cherished in regards to the present is that it reveals very several types of relationships and never all concepts of romance should be the identical. We’ve been fed so much with films that that is what it ought to seem like. What’s nice about Brianna and Roger, however it’s additionally their downfall, is that it’s actual. They make errors. They don’t talk, which drives me loopy. They’ve not dealt with issues fantastically up to now, but they nonetheless work by it. I’m actually happy with the individuals they’re now and the couple they’re now. They appear to speak higher and so they appear to actually be coping with the exterior as a staff, versus letting the exterior are available and tear them aside. That’s all you’ll be able to actually ask for. It’s come to a very cool pinnacle of their relationship, at this level.

By the tip of the season, they make this choice to reunite with Claire and Jamie, though we don’t get to see that household reunion but.

SKELTON: Do they? I don’t know.

It looks like they’ve made that call. Whether or not they’ll keep in that point interval or go to a different time interval, it looks like they wish to be reunited. What’s going to it imply to her to have that reunion once more, after changing into this person who she is now? She’s put her household again collectively and it looks like she’s discovered a power that she didn’t essentially totally know she had. How completely different will that make her in Season 8, reuniting with them and getting by what she has to get by within the final season?

SKELTON: I feel one factor that Brianna will all the time guess on is herself. She has needed to be exceedingly robust earlier than, which I feel has truly been perhaps a bit bit damaging for her, however I don’t assume she ever doubts that she is going to make it by one thing. And so, I don’t know that that essentially can be a altering issue when she reunites along with her mother and father, however I do assume that sense of aid can be one thing that she’s by no means felt fairly to that extent earlier than. She and Claire have all the time had a really mother-daughter, greatest friendy relationship that’s switched round. At instances, Brianna has been the mom to Claire, and vice versa. And so, I feel she’s all the time had that power and that mama bear factor in her, so I don’t essentially assume that might be completely different round Jamie and Claire. It’s simply that now, greater than ever, she is going to actually maintain onto what she has when she has it.

After the lack of Jemmy, in the event that they had been to reunite once more, I actually assume that would be the final time Brianna’s leaving. I don’t assume she’s messing round with this time journey factor anymore. Now she is aware of that she will take any potential guilt away and that she’s not placing her youngsters in roughly hazard by being up to now. It’s like, “You already know what? We’ve tried to do the most secure factor for them and go to the long run, however all over the place’s fucked. We’re gonna keep right here endlessly now, with mother and pa.” She’s going to now simply maintain onto the complete prolonged household unit, versus simply her personal, greater than ever. It’s all the identical precedence now. So, I feel that’s what’s going to change, simply that anchoring down.

‘Outlander’s Sophie Skelton Is Excited for Followers To See What’s in Retailer for the Ultimate Season

With the finale completed and Outlander followers setting a countdown clock for when the ultimate season will lastly air, what would you say to tease what you’re most enthusiastic about with the ultimate season?

SKELTON: It’s actually exhausting if you get up to now of a present. It might probably really feel such as you’re simply circulating tales once more, or it could actually really feel like stuff’s getting diluted or a bit bit recycled. However I, personally, from my stuff, am so excited for individuals to see Season 8. Such as you mentioned earlier than, there’s a change in Brianna. She is written like way more of a safe girl now, and I cherished taking part in that. I actually cherished the dynamic with everybody in Season 8. And I additionally assume all people understanding for certain that it was the final one, that relationship and that magic simply actually comes out on display. We’ve all recognized one another for ten years. It’s household, and so you actually really feel it. There’s simply way more grit to Season 8, for my part, for Brianna at the least. I do know that with Season 4 we had been like, “That is our favourite season.” However genuinely, Season 8, for me, is like Season 1 or Season 4, it’s simply epic. I do know Droughtlander is all the time lengthy, and that should be so exhausting. I received’t say, “I promise,” however I feel this one can be price it. And it’s the ultimate one, so let’s simply maintain onto it whereas we’ve it.

Having closed the e-book on the collection and the character, what actually most stunned you about simply the complete expertise of getting spent so a few years telling a narrative and taking part in the identical character? What couldn’t you’ve got imagined earlier than you’d truly completed it and accomplished it?

SKELTON: That’s query. I feel we’re very fortunate with the present, in that I’ve gotten to play Brianna from age 16, with all of the flashbacks with Frank, performed by Tobias Menzies. I cherished working with him. We managed to do age 16 to age 32 or 35, no matter Brianna finally ends up as. With the flashbacks, time durations, and so many alternative characters coming out and in, it simply looks like we’ve completed a variety of reveals in a single, in that sense. I’m fortunate that, for me at the least, every season has been fairly contemporary. We’ve had a distinct layer of Brianna that’s been peeled away, and now in Season 8, we’re attending to a model of her that I’m tremendous happy with. Due to the books, I all the time knew that we had been gonna have that, in order that wasn’t essentially a shock factor.

Truthfully, the factor that’s essentially the most stunning to me, out of all of it, is simply the fandom. Clearly, I knew what I used to be getting myself into in Season 2. I’d seen the response to Season 1, and it was unbelievable. And the best way the followers welcomed me was unbelievable, simply the vulnerability of the followers, with Brianna having been by a lot sexual trauma and demise and so many issues, and the letters and the those who attain out if you see them and the tales that they provide you and the belief that they put in you. They find yourself telling me issues that they’ve by no means informed anybody earlier than, and one way or the other both Brianna or me taking part in Brianna permits them to open up and helps them heal. That, to me, has been essentially the most stunning and rewarding factor of all of it. It’s simply so cool to see this new age of fandom coming in with the present, rising up with Roger and Brianna, and studying a lot from Bree and changing into stronger for it and believing in themselves extra has simply been extra highly effective than I may ever imagined. It’s actually cool.

It additionally feels fairly outstanding that they’ve stayed as robust and even been stronger from season to season. Fandom tends to wane a bit bit, and it doesn’t really feel prefer it ever did for the present.

SKELTON: Yeah, it snowballed. I used to be like, “Oh, there’s extra of you. Droughtlander was very lengthy. I believed you’d all be dropping off, however it’s constructing.” Yeah, that’s tremendous uncommon. I’m actually astounded and grateful. It’s very cool. One of many first issues a variety of followers ask me is, “What are you doing subsequent?” It’s good that they’re not invested in simply the character anymore. They’re invested in us as a result of it’s been so lengthy, and it’s beautiful as a result of they only wish to see what you’re doing subsequent and so they wish to comply with you, versus simply the character. That’s actually one thing, and I’m tremendous touched by that.

Sophie Skelton Needs To Be a Chameleon within the Subsequent Stage of Her Profession

Does it really feel actually bizarre to attempt to discover the following factor if you’ve performed a personality for thus lengthy? As an actor, you all the time wish to play completely different characters, however it looks like after taking part in a personality for 10 years, it might be even tougher to strive to determine what to tackle after that?

SKELTON: Truthfully, I’m simply fairly excited to do one thing completely different. I’m fairly fortunate in that we had the wig, we had the costumes, we had the utterly completely different time interval, and my accent is completely different. So, for me, it was very easy to depart Brianna on the door, for a lot of causes, however that each one helps. I’m fairly excited to simply be a little bit of a chameleon and go utterly into one thing else. I fairly like individuals not with the ability to determine what I seem like as Sophie. Even followers will come to a conference and assume they’re seeing Brianna, after which they’re like, “Oh, you play Brianna.” I really feel fairly lucky that I can morph into one thing else simply. With Season 8, I’ve left Brianna in a spot that I really feel a variety of closure on, in order that makes it so much simpler to enter the following factor. There’s nothing extra we are able to do with that character. She’s laid to relaxation. She could or will not be good, however she’s completed her story. I feel it’s actually peaceable, truly, to depart her there.

Are you aware what you’re going to do subsequent? Do you wish to take a while to determine what you wish to do subsequent? Are you on the lookout for a comedy with some good climate?

SKELTON: A comedy can be nice. And sure, in relation to chilly climate, I’ve completed my stint for now. Filming someplace with sunshine can be incredible for a short time. No extra pneumonia from night time shoots within the chilly.

Now that you simply’ve wrapped a collection the place you’ve performed the identical character for 10 years, is that one thing you’d ever think about doing once more? Would you be interested by doing one other long-running collection, or would you favor to know forward of time that it might be one thing with a shorter run? How do you’re feeling about taking one thing like that on once more?

SKELTON: I feel collection are in a really completely different place now than they had been eight years in the past. It is uncommon for one thing to go for so long as we did. Clearly, if it’s the appropriate undertaking and the appropriate character, I simply wanna do nice stuff, so I’d by no means say no to that. However for now, I’m simply excited to do one thing completely different. What that appears like, I don’t know. When it comes to sitting and figuring it out, I’m not superb at being unemployed, so I’m onto the following. If the appropriate factor comes alongside, then the time on it doesn’t matter. If the standard stays good and the character is nice, and the writing is nice, and the staff is nice, then that’s actually uncommon and actually magical, so I wouldn’t put a stamp on a time restrict.

Outlander airs on Starz. Take a look at the trailer for Season 7 Half 2:

Watch on Starz