Outlander discussion: The benefits of its stars getting other TV gigs

Earlier this week, we had a chance to see a first look at Tobias Menzies in The Crown. For anyone out there who has seen Outlander, you know already just what Tobias is capable of — he’s an extraordinary performer who brings so much nuance and power to his work. It’s great to see him in this project, and it’s great to see Outlander actors in general land some other meaty roles elsewhere.

Now, is there a benefit that Outlander receives from Tobias being a part of The Crown? We think so, and the same could be said for a number of other actors on the show if they appear elsewhere on TV.

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Let’s just start off with this: The press cycle. While Menzies is going to do a number of interviews on The Crown talking mostly about the role of Prince Philip, you have to also think that there are going to be many in which he is asked about Outlander to go along with it. This could serve as some tremendous cross-promotion for what is effectively his former show. (It’s always possible Tobias turns up again, but both Black Jack and Frank Randall are dead on the series.) Basically, Tobias being on a new show helps to further along attention to his former show.

Beyond just that, these additional TV gigs are great from a credibility standpoint. Let’s say that Tobias goes on and gets an Emmy nomination for his role as Philip. What does that mean? Basically, that both Outlander and this show have an eye for talent and if Outlander can be thought of as a launching pad for actors down the road, that may make it all the more attractive to top-tier rising stars. Think of how Saturday Night Live is considered a launching pad for comedians.

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What is a little bit surprising is that many Outlander actors who remain presently employed don’t end up booking TV roles in the off-season, but there may be a few reasons for that. For starters, schedule-wise it’s hard to accommodate a second TV show when you’ve got very stringent dates that you have to be on set for Outlander. The role would have to be a fairly-limited one that can be wrapped up in the hiatus. Beyond just that, you of course have union, visa, and other issues to go through. We just think that for most Outlander actors, it makes more sense to take on movies in the off months just because it’s a finite job — but, with TV becoming all the more popular every year, we’d love to see more cast members score recurring gigs elsewhere.

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