Inside Jamie Roy's life from failed Outlander auditions to girlfriend

Outlander: Blood of My Blood has made a strong debut, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response from fans, reports the Daily Record.

The series which was filmed in Scotland continues this week, with viewers eager to learn more about the cast, including Scottish actor Jamie Roy who portrays Brian Fraser, the father of Outlander's heroic Jamie Fraser (played by Sam Heughan), and has shared behind-the-scenes photos from the set.

Let's delve into the life of this star, exploring his early years, how he missed out on a role in Outlander, and his current romantic status.

Jamie Roy's Early Life.

Born in Greenock on Scotland's West Coast, 32 year old actor Jamie Roy moved to the small town of Lenzie just outside Glasgow with his family when he was young.

He didn't discover his passion for acting until later in life, after earning a business degree at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and briefly working a desk job post-graduation.

While working during the day, Roy began attending evening acting classes.

An opportunity arose for him to relocate to the US for a job at an American firm, but he chose to decline the offer and instead pursue his acting career.

In 2016, he moved to Miami, Florida, where he continued to chase his acting dream. Speaking to Glamour, he confessed that he'd felt like an "outsider for the longest time" as he hadn't attended drama school or received any formal training beyond his "fantastic acting classes and life".

During his stint in Florida, he honed his skills on the Disney theme park stages, which he described as some of his "best training" due to performing in front of a crowd of 1,000 people per show.

In 2019, he relocated to LA and continued his acting career before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, but post-pandemic, he began landing film roles, enhancing his acting portfolio.

According to IMDb, Roy is now a US citizen and divides his time between Scotland and LA.

Jamie Roy's unsuccessful Outlander auditions.

Before securing the lead role in the Outlander prequel series, Roy auditioned for the part of Militia Man Number One in season seven but was unsuccessful.

Roy confessed: "I thought that I was going to get this role, I was pinned for it, and then didn't get it and was heartbroken."

It was only later, after being cast as Brian, that he discovered he'd been dropped from the role because senior Starz TV executives wanted to reserve him for Blood of My Blood - even before the show had received the green light.

He added: "It just shows you that you never know what's happening behind closed doors and what fate has in store for you. It all worked out as it was meant to, I suppose."

Roy also disclosed how he auditioned for another part in a storyline involving Roger MacKenzie's (Richard Rankin) in Outlander, but was again unsuccessful.

Brian Fraser was Roy's third audition for the Outlander team. Since taking on Blood of My Blood, Roy has revealed he's received support from Heughan, who has provided him with a wealth of advice.

"[He told] me just to appreciate every moment, even on the tough days, because it goes past so quickly," Roy revealed in a recent conversation with People.

Jamie Roy's blossoming love story with fellow actress.

Roy has been romantically involved with fellow actress Annika Foster for half a decade.

Two years into their relationship, back in 2023, Foster shared a series of photos on her Instagram account, capturing them posing on Edinburgh's Royal Mile to celebrate their anniversary.

Accompanying the charming pictures, she wrote: "happy 2-year honey (mustard) ilysm [sic]."

More recently, Foster posted a picture of them in Los Angeles, along with a Blood of My Blood billboard, expressing her support for her partner's work.

The 31 year old American actress has showcased her talent in Meeting You, Meeting Me, The Drawing and Burning Lies.

Her portfolio also includes short film Perfidious, Melody, Prom Nightmare and Isolation Experiment, with the latter two currently in post-production.

Foster is set to appear in upcoming projects Crossing Stars and Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary.

Roy and Foster's chemistry was palpable in the 2021 film Burning Lies, where they portrayed lovers.

Last year, the duo starred together in the indie film Meeting You, Meeting Me.

In addition to her acting pursuits, Foster has also worked as a part-time nanny and enjoys globetrotting, as per her interview on the Real Conversations with Jacob Young podcast.

She shared: "I live in a studio apartment with my partner. And it's actually ... pretty easy."

She added: "But I forget to go to work. I nanny on the side and I come home and he's here."

Outlander: Blood of My Blood airs on Fridays on Starz in the USA and on Saturdays on MGM+ via Prime Video in the UK

Outlander season 8 will air on Starz and MGM+ via Prime Video in early 2026