If there is one bit of casting news I’m excited about in the Outlander universe, it’s that Kieran Bew is joining the flagship series. He’ll play Captain Charles Cunningham in Outlander Season 8, and he is exactly who I pictured from the books.
Before you jump into watching an actor in a role in your TV show, you want to see what he’s done before. Bew is an English actor who has been in a variety of projects since his first listed role on IMDb in 2001.
He certainly has experience in characters you end up a little conflicted about. And Cunningham is going to end up being one of those characters for many. He’s not your traditional villain of the story—although most people see him as that simply because he’s on the opposite side of the war that Jamie is.
Warrior, Beowulf, and more
The most recent role you will have seen Bew in is Warrior. He played Bill O’Hara throughout all three seasons of the show, and quickly became one of those layered and human characters. Bill is an Irish man part of the San Francisco police force. He has a gambling issue, a family to support, and a difficult relationship with the Chinese immigrants in the country.
You may also recognize him from one episode of Doctor Who. He was in Peter Capaldi’s era, in Season 10, Episode 5. He plays Ivan, one of the survivors on a space station where the suits that supply the oxygen are trying to kill everyone.
He was also in eight episodes of Da Vinci’s Demons (which is on Starz!). He played Alfonso, Duke of Calabria. Not only does he have experience in historical fiction, but he also has experience playing a villain, which will be needed for Cunningham.
He has also had a leading role. He took on the titular role in Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands. The series only lasted for one season, but it was certainly a fun jaunt into a mythical land.
Bew has an upcoming role that you’ll want to check out. He will be in House of the Dragon, where he’ll play Hugh Hammer. You’ll get the chance to see him become a dragon rider during the second season of the series.