Quotes

I play lead and rhythm guitar, drums and a little piano. I write songs all the time. I can write to order if pushed and I enjoy it. I have a huge back catalogue of tunes and I hope to record an album in the not too distant future...maybe even an Outlander album!!

I don't wish I knew anything when I first started out acting because I still know nothing...it would spoil the process...and that process continues to this day...and that's the beauty of it.

It's my belief that while the writer writes the character, it is the actor who creates it. So when creating Angus, I decided to take my teeth out. I reckoned that Angus had been in a few physical scrapes and I felt that specific aesthetic lent itself to the role. The accent was worked on with the wonderful voice coach, Carol Anne Crawford, but I think that the real 'voice' of the character (which is often confused with the accent) is found through different rhythms, personal acting choices and research. Grant O'Rourke (Rupert) and I improvised within the parameters of the script - mostly - but I personally added lots of quirks and mannerisms to Angus that were not specifically written.

The reaction to Angus has been extraordinary...it's humbling and a sign you are doing something right as an actor.

In my experience, it's easier to act in another accent than in your own. If you use your own accent, you have to work doubly hard to find the 'voice' of the character. My theory is that because I have a musical ear, I can pick up on accents pretty quickly. I am grateful for this, as it certainly comes in handy! I have done Scottish, American, London, Irish, RP (Received Pronunciation, also known as the "typically British" accent) and lots of others. That said, I think that an accent used for accent's sake is simply mimicry, not acting.