Warning: This article contains spoilers from theOutlanderseason 5 premiere, The Fiery Cross.
How do you feel about that?
Fear the hate a little?TIM DOWNIE:I absolutely relish it.
Starz
But theyve been incredibly gracious and theyve been incredibly open and welcoming into their fandom.
But it is enormous fun being given that chance to play someone so Machiavellian and twisted and power-hungry.
Who wouldnt relish it?
How many of theOutlanderbooks have you read?
But I hadnt got to my character yet because he comes in in book 4.
But I did do reading around his character.
I dont usually read ahead on anything.
I usually like to experience it in the moment.
I would only know where hes been.
Then its a lovely surprise to go, He does what?!
Governor Tryon is one of the few real historical characters we interact with at length in the series.
Has that been a boon to you in terms of research and perspective?It has.
Because it really planted his feet somewhere.
The actions he did were real, and they have real consequences in the real world.
And thats quite exciting and not to be taken lightly.
Hes had enormous ramifications for the sculpting of a new country and what happened to England after that.
If you werent a part of that, then chances are you were poor or indentured in some way.
When you then put that into public life, its incredibly potent and incredibly dangerous.
You dont know where or what a character like that will necessarily do.
But that may be just about it.
Life is very cheap to someone like that.
Hes actually been pretty patient with Jamie, all things considered.
How short is his fuse going to get?
How bad can we expect his demands to be?That would be telling.
Tryon is, hes consistent, if anything.
Hes been weaving a web for a long time.
Hes had an end goal that he is very keen on pursuing.
Well get there under no uncertain terms, be that standing on people or be that using people.
Hes probably done it his entire life to get to where hes got to.
Hes all about himself.
Hes endearing in some ways, but theres a lot of more of the same.
It seems clear he suspects Jamie is not entirely loyal.
Would you say thats fair?
He just doesnt trust him anyway because hes a Scot.
After recent historical events, in their DNA, in their bones, they dont trust each other.
They both know what this is.
They both know what each other can give.
They both know what each other could take away.
They play that game very stealthily and beautifully.
I dont think Tryon wouldve given it much thought.
He probably would have thought, Youre a Scot, so therefore, youre probably a traitor anyway.
What does Tryon make of all that?
Is it an annoying?
But theres probably also a part thats incredibly arrogant, thats probably going, Oh, thats very sweet.
Theyre going to dress up.
Because hes just very, very arrogant and probably thinks if anything happens, well crush it.
This is a man that runs an area of land thats bigger than the country he came from.
Hes probably told his wife, You know, Im king.
What I say is the law.
And that changes a person that sense of power is almost too much power.
Is there a real danger of Jamie losing his land?
Would Tryon truly take it back?
Can he?Absolutely anything is possible, and thats the danger.
I dont think it would bother him.
He would purely see it along those lines; anything humanitarian wouldnt really cross his mind.
It may cause more trouble than its worth, and it may ignite something further.
Is Tryon most exclusively a danger to Jamie?
He would probably find Claire very useful, being a doctor.
That could come into play as well in his decisions.
Hes also pretty cozy with Jocasta [Maria Doyle Kennedy], who has a secret relationship with Murtagh.
He would just look at Jocasta and think money.
He wouldnt be too sharp.
Too much on the ball.
He would leave that to his soldiers and armies to try and find out.
You hear it and you think that can only mean one thing.
A lot of bad things come out of things that have been manipulated for their own end.
It certainly has been warped by certain factions.
I think hearing about it is probably worse in this instance.
The truth of it that you see up on screen, I think, is very well done.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
