Outlander star details 'disturbing' new role away from series in psychological thriller film
Outlander star Graham McTavish, best known for his role as War Clan Chieftain Dougal MacKenzie in the Starz show, has shared details about his new venture. The 64-year-old Scots actor is set to play a very different character in his upcoming movie Dirty Boy.
The film follows the dark story of a boy called Isaac, played by Stan Steinbichler, who is a reclusive schizophrenic raised by a cult that are now framing him for a string of ritualistic murders. Isaac must discover the truth about his real parents and clear his name before time runs out, all while trying to overcome obstacles from both the cult and his alter-ego Frankie.
The Outlander star plays the evil cult leader Walter Wentworth, the patriarch of the religious group who manipulates everything behind the scenes. During an interview with Reach Screen Time, McTavish said he was "immediately drawn" to Doug Rao's script, who also directed Dirty Boy.
While some brand Dirty Boy as a "horror", McTavish said it's "much more than that", likening it to a psychological thriller, the Express reports.
He added: "But it's very disconcerting, very disturbing and you just keep feeling like something really bad is about to happen."
McTavish has played numerous villains throughout his acting career but McTavish says Dirty Boy's Walter is among the most despicable due to his irredeemable traits, even drawing comparisons with the infamous American child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The actor said: "There are parallels you could draw with a character like Wentworth with Jeffrey Epstein and that kind of world. Epstein didn't create a cult, but that sort of giving yourself permission to do anything and feeling that there will be no consequences, and that's what people like Wentworth do."
He further remarked on how individuals like Epstein would "rationalise" their actions into a "story they tell themselves", labelling this as the "root of evil".
Unlike some of his past villainous roles, the actor admitted he is finding it "hard to justify anything he's doing", making the part "very difficult" to play.
Reflecting on one of the most disturbing scenes in Dirty Boy, McTavish spoke about the moment when Walter gazes at himself in a mirror while awaiting cult member Hope, played by Honor Gillies, before a sex ritual.
He said: "It's very creepy. He's not looking in the mirror to see if he has any blemishes, he's just staring at himself, like that phrase 'staring into the abyss."
Dirty Boy was filmed back in 2023 amidst the gorgeous scenery of Lake Grundlsee in Austria.
The film's star studded cast also includes Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar and Wentworth Prison actress Susie Porter, Olivia Chenery of Penny Dreadful and Queen fame, Hetty Feather's Ava Merson-O'Brien, along with Ruaridh Aldington, Heidi Rolph-Stott, Alice Lucy, Katharina Scheuba, and Michael Kodi Farrow.
The independent film is set to make its UK debut at the Raindance Film Festival this weekend, before gracing cinemas in August.
McTavish is currently working on various projects, including two films, his Bourbon brand McTavish Spirits, and a role in Starz's sequel series Spartacus: House of Ashur, set to premiere this autumn.
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