BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug. 8 (UPI) -- British actor Tobias Menzies is to play the dual roles of Frank Randall and Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall in the fantasy series "Outlander," Starz announced.
Menzies has appeared on TV's "Game of Thrones" and "Rome," as well as in the film "Casino Royale."
The "Outlander" series is adapted from Diana Gabaldon's international best-selling books by Ronald D. Moore, a producer who has worked on "Battlestar Galactica," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
Co-starring Sam Heughan, the new show is to premiere on Starz in 2014.
"The 'Outlander' series spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure in one epic tale," a news release from Starz said. "It follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. Frank Randall is Claire's 20th century husband and a professional historian with a deep interest in the 18th century and his own genealogy. Frank and Claire are reunited in 1945, after being separated by the war. They are rekindling their relationship when Claire suddenly disappears. Jonathan 'Black Jack' Randall is Frank's ancestor from the 18th century."
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