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Maria Doyle Kennedy tweets about the hardest part playing Aunt Jocasta

ByAlexandria Ingham|
Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room
Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room

In Outlander Season 4, Episode 2, we were introduced to Aunt Jocasta. What was the hardest part of playing the character for Maria Doyle Kennedy?

Aunt Jocasta is a formidable force. She is a woman of her time, not afraid to share her opinion when necessary but also able to hold it back when she knows it won’t do her any good. Maria Doyle Kennedy has the honor of playing the role in Outlander and we were introduced to her in Episode 2.

There was just one part of the role that was harder than all the others and it wasn’t the accent! It’s all about Jocasta’s character not being able to see when Doyle Kennedy can see perfectly well. During the #MeetJocasta segment on Twitter earlier this week, the actress shared all about practicing being poor-sighted.

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Doyle Kennedy did take time to prepare for the role. One of those stages was practicing to walk around without her sight. She’d use a blindfold around her home, so she could get used to not having the liberty of seeing everything around her. At least, Jocasta can see shapes and shadows, similarly to my grandmother before she died.

She also talked to people who had lost their sight. This is something that many actors do to make sure they tell the right story.

Another element that was tricky, although not difficult to act, was how precarious a woman’s place was in the time period. She was nothing without a man around. Even as a successful, strong-willed, and skilled woman, there were men looking to take advantage. It’s no wonder Jocasta wanted to leave her fortune to Jamie.

By the way, since I mention the accent, that was something that came up. As an Irish actress, she had to learn a Scottish accent to be able to match the world she once came from.

Many fans of Maria Doyle Kennedy will remember that she played Catherine of Aragon in The Tudors a little more than 10 years ago, where she had a Spanish accent. During the Twitter Q&A, Doyle Kennedy shared she’d like to do something like an Icelandic accent. Think we can get her a part on Vikings?

You can catch the whole Q&A on Twitter on Maria Doyle Kennedy’s Twitter feed. It’s certainly enlightening and fun.

What question would you ask Maria Doyle Kennedy? What did you find interesting about her portrayal of Aunt Jocasta? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Outlander airs Sundays at 8/7c on STARZ.

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