Starz Adds ‘Amadeus’ Actor Simon Callow to ‘Outlander’ Cast

The veteran British actor will play the Duke of Sandringham on the series adapted from Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling novels

Starz

Starz has just landed veteran British actor Simon Callow to its growing cast for the upcoming series, “Outlander.”

Callow will play the Duke of Sandringham, the network announced on Friday.

He’s described as opulent and flamboyant with the propensity for all things beautiful and rarely hears the word no. Over the course of the show, it will be revealed that he has his hands in a few different cookie jars.

See photo: Starz’s ‘Outlander’ Reveals First Look at Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser

Among Callow’s many television and movie credits are the acclaimed 1984 film, “Amadeus,” in which he played Emanuel Schikaneder. They also include 1994’s “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “1998’s” “Shakespeare in Love,” a recurring stint on “Doctor Who” as Charles Dickens and Julian Fellowes‘ “Comic Relief: Uptown Downstairs Abbey” in 2011.

The actor joins the cast that also includes Graham McTavish (“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”), Gary Lewis (“Gangs of New York”) and Caitriona Balfe (“Super 8″).

Also read: Starz’s ‘Outlander’ Finds Young Hamish MacKenzie (Exclusive)

Based on the novels by Diana Gabaldon, “Outlander” follows Claire Randall (Balfe), a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser (Heughan), a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, Claire becomes torn between her two lives.

John Dahl, whose credits include “Breaking Bad,” “Dexter” and “Justified,” will direct the first two episodes of the upcoming drama, from “Battlestar Galactica” executive producer Ronald D. Moore. It is set to premiere in 2014.

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