Fans ofOutlander have been pining for a year and a half at the idea of discovering the rest of Claire and Jamie's adventures. Their patience is finally rewarded since part 2 of season 7 has finally started, Saturday November 23 on Netflix, the day after the American broadcast on the Starz channel. If the faithful were delighted to find Claire, Jamie, Brianna, Roger or young Ian, they were also impatient at the idea of reconnecting with old characters fromOutlander, who hadn't appeared in many seasons. Some even wondered how it was possible, some, like Dougal or Geillis, having been dead for a long time in history. Jenny Murray, Jenny's sister and young Ian's mother, is alive and well when Claire, Jamie and Ian finally return to Lallybroch. But you will no doubt have noticed a major change in Jenny's character. Jamie's sister has indeed changed her face!
Outlander season 7: why did Laura Donnelly leave the series and did she have to be replaced for the character of Jenny?
The production announced it several months ago: Jenny Murray changed performers in the second part of season 7 ofOutlander. In the show's early seasons, Jenny was played by actress Laura Donnelly. In these new episodes, it is now the actress Kristie Atherton who lends her features. When the arrival of Kristie Atherton was announced, production did not provide any further explanation on the replacement of Laura Donnelly. However, in 2018, producer Maril Davis explained the absence of Jenny in season 4, while her character does appear in the book Drums of Autumnby Diana Gabaldon, from which the episodes were adapted. When Brianna crosses the stones and lands in the 18th century, looking for her parents, Jenny welcomes her to Lallybroch and shows her Jamie's letters, proving to the young girl that they are still alive.
“We thought we would be able to convince her” : why production had to modify season 4 ofOutlander due to the absence of Laura Donnelly
In season 4 ofOutlander, Jenny does not appear, Brianna then meets Ian, her uncle, but also Laoghaire (whom fans also find in part 2 of season 7). “At the last minute, Laura Donnelly was unable to be present for this episode, unfortunately she had other commitments and was unable to make time, explained the producer at the time, in an interview with the American site Entertainment Weekly. We love Laura, we love the character of Jenny, she brings a spark to every season (…) We intended to bring Brianna and Jenny together, but we waited, we dragged our feet as long as we could because , honestly, we thought we would be able to convince her and change the schedule. We could change the schedule to make it better, but in the end it didn't work, so we had to figure out another story.”
Outlander : what happens to the actress Laura Donnelly, the first interpreter of Jenny?
At the time of filming season 4 ofOutlanderLaura Donnelly was on Broadway to perform the play The Ferrymana role that earned him a Tony Award nomination. Since her last appearance in season 3 as Jenny Murray, the 42-year-old Irish actress has not been idle. She notably played the role of Amalia in the HBO series The Neversand held recurring roles in the series Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands et Britannia. She also played the lead female role in the Disney+ film Werewolf by Nightalongside Gael García Bernal. In the cinema, Laura Donnely played the writer's mother in the biopic Tolkien and starred in the film The Heist Before Christmaswith Timothy Spall and James Nesbitt.
Outlander : who is Kristie Atherton, the new actress chosen to play Jenny in season 7?
However, there is no question of doing without the character of Jenny for season 7 of Outlander! The production therefore preferred to change the actress and called on Kristie Atherton. The English actress, born in 1986, is known for her roles in the series Waterloo Road and in the movie K-Shopreleased in 2016. Since then, she has mainly lent her voice to video games, such as Warhammer 40,000 : Battle Sister or The Lord of the Fallen.
