Outlander: Show is renewed for an eighth and final season
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Season seven of Outlander is anticipated to be airing later this year with US network Starz yet to confirm a date. The sixth series saw some of the secondary characters getting some more screen time, including Lizzie Wemyss (played by Caitlin O’Ryan) and her relationship with the Beardsley twins. Fans are keen to learn more about the Beardsley siblings.
Does one actor play the Beardsley twins in Outlander?
In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, Outlander star Paul Gorman opened up about playing both Josiah and Keziah Beardsley in the series.
Gorman first appeared in the show back in season five after they were introduced to the story with the identical twins both working as indentured servants.
While Josiah eventually obtained his freedom, his profoundly deaf twin Keziah was still indentured and eventually rescued.
Gorman, 26, went for the role of the Beardsley twins while he was studying at the prestigious The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Gorman said: “I was cast in Outlander when I was 22 and it was a big part of my twenties.”
Opening up about his Outlander audition, Gorman said he originally thought it was just one role he was going for and only later found out it was a dual part.
The star said: “I did my research and saw my storyline and the arc of the characters and thought, ‘This is really interesting.’
“As an actor, you never imagining auditioning for two roles at the same time.”
He was required to read two scenes, one was the first time Josiah and Lizzie met and the second was the first time both twins were seen at the same time.
Gorman said: “It was a chance to show Josiah off but also having to do the dual role of Kezzie as well. Having to get my head round switching both roles was a bit mad.”
However, he was in safe hands with the casting directors auditioning giving him good direction.
The last process in winning the role was the chemistry test with co-star O’Ryan as well as some additional scenes.
“Caitlin was very supportive. She was brilliant, a very giving actor and a very in the moment actor,” Gorman said, adding O’Ryan was a “brilliant” screen partner.
The rising star also addressed how the scenes featuring both twins were filmed on a technical level.
He said: “That was a mind bender!” with the actor and the crew prepping prior to filming, including camera tests.
Gorman said: “I worked with two doubles as well, who would then play the other character that I wasn’t playing, so I had an eye line and also someone to act with as well.
“They were giving so much. They were brilliant and brilliant actors to work with. So it was a mixture of doubles and on that first day, we worked with [director] Jamie [Payne] we had a blue screen as well.”
But there were also times when Gorman would be acting against tennis balls and golfballs which would be edited out in post-production.
Gorman said about the process: “At one point, it was just me and Richard [Rankin] and we were just looking at each other, but imagine that we’re not looking at each other but we’re looking at someone in between, so it was a bit of a mind bend.”
This dual role on screen was a first for Outlander. Although Tobias Menzies played the dual role of Frank Randall and his ancestor Captain Black Jack, the two characters never shared any screen time together.
Gorman reflected: “We really kind of nailed it and now we don’t really use green screen at all.
“We lock the camera angle – we did it a lot in season six and we’ll do it in season seven – looked the camera and the amazing VFX people working that out which is incredible.”
He added: “A lot of golf balls, a lot of doubles and a lot of imagination as well.”
Outlander season 7 will premiere later this year and season 1 to 6 are streaming on Lionsgate+ now
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