Several Outlander stars have come together for a new project
Several stars from the hit series Outlander have joined forces for a new venture. Steven Cree, who played Old Ian Murray, Duncan Lacroix, known for his role as Murtagh Fitzgibbons, and Claire Sermonne, who portrayed Louise de Rohan, have all featured in a music video for fellow Outlander actor Andrew Gower’s band Gustaffson.
The Outlander alumni, along with a host of other celebrities including Line of Duty’s Leanne Best, David Gyasi from The Diplomat and Arty Froushan of Carnival Row, have all shared their unseen audition self-tapes, which are showcased in the music video for Gustaffson’s new single Closer from their debut album Black & White Movie. In a fleeting moment, clips from the various stars are mixed with footage of Gustaffson performing Closer on stage at Manchester’s Albert Hall.
Express.co.uk had an exclusive chat with Gustaffson lead and Outlander’s Bonnie Prince Charlie actor Gower, who shed light on how this thrilling collaboration came to be.
“The nice thing is some of those Outlander actors haven’t been in scenes together, so they can say they’ve been in scenes together now. It’s been wonderful. Again, another job Outlander – that community, that cast, regardless of being in scenes or episodes together, we managed to stay in touch. Duncan and Steven were two of the first people to send their stuff over. It was so wonderful to have them in it and so nice to see them out of their Outlander costumes as well,” he revealed.
Gower, known for his roles in Black Mirror, Carnival Row and Channel 5’s detective drama Ellis, has maintained contact with many of his Outlander co-stars through fan conventions.
“There’s a lovely demand for us to talk about past seasons and obviously with the show coming to an end, the demand, and looking back at the past seasons is becoming more poignant.”
The actor expressed his gratitude for having had the opportunity to work with the Outlander cast and expressed interest in future collaborations. When asked if fans might see Sam Heughan or Caitríona Balfe in a Gustaffson music video, Gower stated that the “door would always be open” to them.
Despite Heughan not featuring in the video, Gower disclosed that the Jamie Fraser star’s Sassenach Spirits drinks line is sponsoring the band’s forthcoming sold-out concert at Bush Hall, where attendees will receive a cocktail inspired by the Black and White Movie album.
“Sam has been so amazing, just the type of person he is,” Gower praised. The actor described it as “really special” and credited it to Sam, adding: “It really again shows the power of Sam and Cait and the cast supporting other people’s art. Such a special night and makes the Black and White Movie theme even more poignant for us when we go to Bush Hall.”
Moreover, the Outlander connections extend further, with the show’s composer Bear McCreary collaborating on the single Flowers, which was released last year.
The single Closer emerged from Gower and fellow bandmate James ‘Webbo’ Webster’s video calls about Gustaffson, with the actor expressing a “need for face-to-face collaboration to make art”.
With the onset of the COVID pandemic, there was a surge in self-tape auditions due to lockdown restrictions, forcing actors to record scenes for potential roles at home, thus eliminating in-person casting and adding to the sense of isolation.
He reached out to “everybody I’ve admired for years” within the acting world, some of whom he had previously worked with, inviting them to contribute self-tapes they felt were “never seen” or “something they were proud of”.
Gower commented that although these videos might have “fallen between the cracks in the acting industry”, they would now “live on” in the music video.
Closer also boasts an appearance by national icon Sir Ben Kingsley, who delivers an impassioned speech about artists finding their own “tribe” and the importance of self-belief.
“That got me through drama school,” he revealed, continuing: “I’ve admired Sir Ben for years, his work obviously from Sexy Beast to everything else.”
Gustaffson’s debut album Black and White is touted as a “cinematic experience”, with each song doubling as its own mini-film. The accompanying music videos blend various media, boasting an impressive cast, including Daniel Ings from The Crown and The Gentleman, Sharon D. Clarke from Ellis, Matthew McNulty from Deadwater Fell, and Kiran Sonia Sawar from Black Mirror.
The band Gustaffson was formed during the pandemic and released their first EP, The Jacaranda, in 2022. The band’s name is a tribute to Gower’s Swedish-born great-grandmother,
Louisa Gustaffson, who inspired the track Some Kind of Sweden and is remembered for her kindness.Gower is constantly writing and already has plans for a follow-up album.
Meanwhile, his acting career is also thriving, with a short film, Blessed Are They That Fear the Lord, in the works, according to IMDb.
On balancing his dual passions, Gower reflected: “I like to think the music and the acting will continue to complement each other.”
Looking ahead, Gower shared his ambitions for both music and acting: “One of my big aims and one of Gustaffson’s big aims is to write for TV and to definitely create a drama or a film that combines both of them. That’s where I want to end up.”