IN CONVERSATION WITH SÉAMUS MCLEAN ROSS

interview by JANA LETONJA

Séamus McLean Ross is starring in the upcoming ‘Outlander’ prequel series, ‘Blood of My Blood’, coming out on 8th August. In addition, Séamus is also the lead in James McAvoy’s upcoming directorial debut feature, ‘California Schemin’. Besides this, he also won rave reviews for his professional stage debut in ‘The Flea’.

You’re stepping into the iconic ‘Outlander’ universe as Colum McKenzie in its prequel, ‘Blood of My Blood’. What can fans expect from this prequel and your take on this legendary character?

‘Blood of My Blood’ will plant the seeds that show the original ensemble in their most formative years. Fans can expect to see some of their best loved characters, and of course the new ones, the ‘how Mummy met Daddy’ stories which transcend time, Clan loyalties, and all while hopefully pulling on your heart strings.

Life is never straightforward, and especially in the 18th century, seeing characters already established I think can make it seem like that. We see Colum at the apex of his youth, not only about to become a man, but a Laird, something he believed would be given to him by birth right. But everything has its cost, and audiences will understand what it took for Colum to achieve his lifelong ambition. I think that will be really cool for audiences. That time in your life is always scary, never mind when faced with the prospect of leading and ensuring the safety of a civilisation, lasting hundreds of years. 

What was the biggest challenge, and perhaps the biggest thrill, of working on a franchise with such a passionate global fanbase?

I think for me, it was the fear of taking on this big massive career step, and having to back myself as hard as I ever had. Every job gives you this little 10% confidence boost, to go on and try to catch one a little bigger, but this was a big jump. I loved Colum’s character so much, and there’s a bit of a saying in the industry of ‘it’s never the ones you want’. But for me, it was. So, it’s been about parking the overawe and doing my job, with confidence . 

‘California Schemin’ is such a wild, unbelievable true story. What drew you to this role, and what are you most excited about working under James McAvoy in his directorial debut?

I booked ‘California Schemin’ about one week into prep for ‘Blood of My Blood’. Again, it just looked too good to be true. A lad from Dundee who is a rapper, a bit of a loner, and this wild imagination? Yeah, that sounds perfect. There’s a lot of lads like that, but I relished the fight, and just felt really connected to Gavin when playing him. The audition process was wicked. James and Kahleen just felt so open to play, and gave me space to be me. In the final round, when I read with Sam, something just happened, a click. When we were playing Gavin and Billy, he just looked at me in this certain way that made my character feel so comfortable and seen. He was a different class. It was James’ sheer level of creative focus that inspired me most. I just wanted to do him proud and match his ambition for Gavin and beyond. It was a once in a lifetime job, working with my absolute hero and being a rapper for a month. It’s hard to get anything better than that really. 

The transformation into a Californian rap persona must have been intense. How did you prepare for the role of a Scottish teen faking it as an American rap star?

I boldly DMd Paapa Essiedu, who I loosely knew when he directed me in 1st year at Drama school, looking for an acting coach. Anyway, he recommended my now friend, Andrew Whyment who helped me Facts and Question the whole script, basically creating the boundaries of Gavin and his inner world. I worked in Andy’s flat and ran scenes with him on Zoom. Eventually after a couple of months of my own private work with Andy, I met the amazing team. We had a two week boot camp where me and Sam basically messed about. We had skateboard lessons for two weeks, then into the studio with a voice coach and the film’s music supervisor learning those cosmic flows, and working on stuff with James. But honestly, the dedication from every department just made Gavin’s life jump out of the page before your eyes.

You’ve worked on productions backed by major industry names, from Jed Mercurio to Gregory Burke. What have been your biggest takeaways from working with such acclaimed creatives?

I cried when I first booked ‘Payback’. Booking a job felt near impossible. I remember when my agent called me and told me they’d like to offer me the part. It was the moment I was like “Right, I’m going to be an actor, I can tell my parents that I’ve got something to show for a year of getting close, but no cigar”. I was lucky enough to have two small parts with both these show runners, and I just didn’t want to leave set. It was my happy place. I think what I’ve learned from working on these type of productions as a higher number is to bring everything to it. I just chucked the imaginative bucket at it. Work was so illusive so this just felt like a treat. A reward for the real work of learning lines for auditions. I just wanted to go and go. The only problem was there was only about 3 days of filming, so I couldn’t, but it really gave me the bug to do it bigger and better. 

You’ve been named a Screen International Rising Star. How does that recognition influence your mindset as you take on bigger and bolder roles?

I’m incredibly grateful to Screen Scotland and Screen Daily for naming me in their shortlist with such class people and artists. It’s a bit mental to be honest. It’s not something I ever thought about, but it’s just great to be making cool work, and it makes me more grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given, and hungrier to do even more exciting, risk-taking work.  

How do you balance staying grounded while your profile continues to rise in such high-profile productions?

It can be easy for me to be drawn to shiny things, and for my ADHD mind to overthink life. But I’m lucky I have a great family and friends who remind me of what really matters. I take work really seriously, and when I’m working, I don’t think about publicity or what the job is going to do. I just focus on getting into character and into the spirit of play. It is hard for me to maintain my relationships when I’m thinking about scripts. I can lose my connection to the world around me a bit, which ironically is crucial to being a good actor, so my mum always says “If you’re thinking too much about yourself, it’s time to go and do something for someone else”. I don’t always manage it, but I try. 

You received rave reviews for your stage debut in ‘The Flea’. How did that theatre experience shape your approach to screen acting?

Theatre was always my first love, so to do ‘The Flea’ felt like being let off the leash creatively. I don’t really know the difference between screen and theatre, I guess it’s about size. Fundamentally, I think acting is acting. It’s about listening, which is hard for me because I want to show off and do my own thing, but as I’m getting more experienced, I’m learning that listening is the key. It takes courage to put your attention into someone or something else, because it makes you vulnerable. We want to see connection, and the cogs changing no matter the medium. But I think this can only be done when you’re confident enough to just drop everything and be present to this imagined wee world you go into for a while, even when there’s a big fella chomping on walkers in the 2nd row, or some boom guy is lingering in your periphery. 

With ‘Blood of My Blood’ and ‘California Schemin’ coming up, 2025 looks like a landmark year for you. What are your hopes for this next chapter?

While I’m really falling in love with the prospect of playing a great character for hopefully at least another season, I just want to continue pushing myself as an actor. With ‘The Flea’ into ‘Blood of My Blood’ and then into the film, they are opposites of each other, which is something I love doing if given the chance, stretching my range and shaking off the skin of my previous character.

Are there any roles or genres you’re particularly keen to explore next, and why?

Ever since I was a wee boy, and embarrassingly to this day, I’ve always wanted to at least pretend to be an American, preferably a dark and brooding one. It’s what I grew up watching. America is a romantic obsession of mine. For all it’s major flaws, its vast and dramatic land and cityscapes, I can’t help but be in awe of it. It creates some pretty spectacular stories and actors. Films like ‘El Camino’ with Aaron Paul and Jesse Plemmons, Michael Shannon in ‘Take Shelter’ and Jake Gyllenhaal in ‘NightCrawler’, really added more fuel to this fantasy, of being in a film like one of them some day. 

Outside of acting, what are the things you are most passionate about?

The downtime can be difficult for me, because I really do mainly live for work. Anything that brings me joy and fulfilment is found mostly in a pub in Glasgow making my pals laugh or singing songs at Tannadice. Living back in Scotland is great because there’s so much wilderness I still haven’t explored. I’ve just passed my driving test so I think a trip to the Highlands and Islands is in the works.

CREDITS

photography DAVID REISS