Happy birthday, Steven Cree: Why we need more Ian Murray in Outlander

By Alexandria Ingham | Feb 28, 2019

Photo credit: Outlander/Starz Image acquired via Starz Media Room /

Steven Cree plays Ian Murray in Outlander. In celebration of his birthday today, it’s time to look at just why we need more of the character.

Ian Murray has been an important part of Outlander since his first appearance and Steven Cree is an important part of the fandom. Always fair and supportive of others, it’s always fun to see him pop up in the show. Today is Cree’s birthday and what’s a better way to celebrate it than by looking at the character that we hold dear to our hearts?

Ian Murray simply isn’t in the series enough. We got him for all of five minutes in Outlander Season 4. As much as I enjoyed the moments between Laoghaire and Brianna (and Joanie and Brianna), I would have loved for more time between Ian and his niece, a niece that he’d only just met but immediately welcomed into the home.

More from Opinion

Out of all the people in Jamie’s life, Ian has always been the most welcoming and kind. Maybe it’s the part of him that is an outsider in the Fraser family. Like Claire, he married into the madness that is the Frasers and MacKenzies. While Jenny was certainly more stable in terms of home and life, she was just as stubborn and fiery as Jamie — sometimes even more so.

Ian has always been mild-mannered, taking life as it comes. He’s a stern father (and even sterner in the books than the show) but he is also kind and wants to make sure that the “outsiders” are welcomed in. In the series, he played an important role for Brianna, helping her get the money she needed to cross the ocean; money he viewed as rightfully hers.

While Ian doesn’t show up in “The Fiery Cross,” there’s always some hope that the writers would find a way to bring him in. However, that’s unlikely. It’s going to be Outlander Season 6 that we see him and that storyline may have to change due to Laura Donnelly possibly not being part of the series. If that’s the case, it would be good to see their storylines switched around, so Ian takes on Jenny’s place in the future of the TV show.

Steven Cree birthday post from 2018: A look at Titan. dark. Next

What do you love about Ian Murray? What would you like to see from him in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Happy birthday, Steven Cree! Like Claire and Jamie on Facebook for more birthday posts for the cast.