The Outlander That Could've Been: A Film Starring Katherine Heigl? Yes, It Almost Happened
Actually, we aren't sure why it did not happen.
The Outlander show, based on a series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, is by no means the first story that mixes romance and time travel, but it has managed to become especially popular with fans, thanks to its unique script and brilliant performances from all cast members.
At the center of the series is Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe), a former nurse who lives in England with her husband in 1945 and gets mysteriously thrown all the way back in time to 1743.
There Claire finds herself entangled in a Scottish rebellion against the British and gets into a dangerous situation that requires her to marry one of the rebels, Jamie Fraser.
All in all, this is an exciting and action-filled romance show, which fans just loved to follow, and a huge part of Outlander's success is due to Caitríona Balfe's exceptional performance. But what if we told you that the actress wasn't meant to be cast for the role in the first place?
According to a report by Mental Floss, Katherine Heigl was the first pick for the role of Claire, back when Outlander was still conceptualized as a feature-length movie. Heigl is best known for her main role in Grey's Anatomy, and she surely is a gifted performer who would probably do well as the lead in Outlander too. So why didn't she participate in the project?
Actually, there is no reliable information on why that idea was eventually abandoned. The producers decided that the story should be adopted as a series rather than a feature film, and Caitríona Balfe was cast as Claire shortly before the filming of Season 1 started.
What's more, it looks like the casting process was particularly challenging, as the series' creative team had a hard time choosing the female protagonist.
'It was really hard to find Claire [...] A lot of actresses, a lot of tape,' Outlander's executive producer Ronald D. Moore told E! News.
'She had to be smart, she had to have a strength of character, and really, she had to be someone that you could watch think on camera. But then suddenly Caitríona's tape came in, and we had that same light-bulb moment.'
Fans seem to agree with that sentiment, claiming that Caitríona Balfe fits her role exceptionally well and she was ultimately the right choice for Outlander.
The upcoming Season 7 of Outlander is set to premiere on June 16.
Source: E! News