Outlander creator Diana Gabaldon has admitted that the casting of Jamie Fraser’s illegitimate son William Ransom took “a long time” before Charles Vandervaart eventually landed the part.
Outlander author Diana Gabaldan has revealed it took quite a while to find the actor to play the character of William Ransom in the hit time travel drama.
The role eventually went to Charles Vandervaart who Diana describes as “wonderful”.
In a clip posted to the Starz Twitter account, the 71-year-old best-selling writer revealed that she was on set in Scotland.
Speaking about the new additions to the cast she said: “Everybody is absolutely fabulous. I especially like Rachel and her brother Denny of course.
“But also Charles Vandervaart who’s playing William. He is absolutely wonderful. It took a long time to find him but when I saw his audition I was thinking, ‘Yep that’s it. You got him,’” she smiled.
William is the secret illegitimate son of Geneva Dunsany (Hannah James) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan).
Since the age of six, he has been raised by Lord John Grey (David Berry), his legal guardian and the husband of Geneva’s younger sister Isobel (Tanya Reynolds).
The character previously appeared in season three and four as a child but season seven is the first time we have seen him as an adult, and he is a soldier in the British army.
This season is expected to address William’s true paternity with the revelation likely to have devastating consequences on the young soldier, who believes he’s the son of an English aristocrat rather than a Jacobite rebel.
With the mid-season finale set to air this coming Friday fans are wondering about his fate as he confronts the horrors of war.
If they follow the trajectory of the books on which the TV series is based William will survive the war.
He is very much a presence in the eighth novel Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, and is also present in the ninth novel Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone.
Diana is currently working on the 10th novel, which is slated to be the final instalment in the Outlander universe, and which will make up part of the story for the eighth and final season of the show.
However, it is unknown if William will make it to the end of that tome as she is keeping the plot close to her chest.
