Outlander is finally back with new episodes on Starz and, it seems, a new Jenny. When Claire (Caitriona Balfe), Jamie (Sam Heughan), and Young Ian (John Bell) return to Lallybroch after spending years across the pond, they are reunited with the Fraser family matriarch… only she’s being played by a new actress.
**Spoilers for Outlander Season 7 Episode 9 “Unfinished Business,” now streaming on Starz**
Way back when we first met Jamie’s beloved big sister Jenny in Outlander Season 1, the tough, but caring character was played by Northern Irish actress Laura Donnelly. Although Donnelly reprised the role several times over Outlander‘s run, she’s since found wild success on the stage and the screen. So much so, it seems she couldn’t squeeze a return to Outlander — and Lallybroch — into her schedule. English actress Kristin Atherton has taken over the role in her stead.
So why did Outlander replace Laura Donnelly as Jenny? What is the original Jenny actress up to now? And was it difficult for Kristin Atherton to step into such a beloved role on the set of Outlander?
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Jenny on Outlander…
Who is Jenny on Outlander? All About Jamie’s Sister, Janet Fraser Murray:
Jenny is Jamie’s older sister and Young Ian’s mother. We first met Jenny, which is a nickname for Janet, all the way back in Outlander Season 1 Episode 2 “Castle Leoch.” We saw a flashback of how the villainous Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) sexually assaulted Jenny at Lallybroch.
Eventually, Claire would meet and befriend Jenny in Outlander Season 1 Episode 7 “Lallybroch.” In Jamie’s absence, Jenny had married “Old” Ian Murray (Steven Cree). The two would go on to have seven children, including Young Ian.
Before Outlander Season 7, Jenny had appeared in eight episodes of Outlander total, and she had always been played by Laura Donnelly. However, Kristin Atherton plays the new Jenny in Outlander Season 7 Episode 9 “Unfinished Business.”
Why Did Outlander Replace Laura Donnelly as Jenny in Season 7?
Outlander has recast multiple characters over the years — perhaps most notably replacing Graham McTavish with Diarmaid Murtagh as Buck “The Nuckelavee” MacKenzie. In this instance, there doesn’t seem to be a potential brain-warping time travel reason for the recast. Instead, Laura Donnelly’s career has gotten rather busy since she first appeared on Outlander.
Since the last time we saw Jenny, all the way back in Outlander Season 3, Laura Donnelly has starred in HBO’s The Nevers, Disney+’s Werewolf By Night, and in the hit Broadway show, The Ferryman, for which she was nominated for a Tony.
Right now, Laura Donnelly is starring on Broadway again in The Hills of California, her latest theatrical collaboration with long-time real life partner Jez Butterworth. Donnelly also recently appeared as the older Helen McConville in FX’s gripping IRA drama, Say Nothing. You can follow her on Instagram @laurafdonnelly.
Who is the New Jenny On Outlander? Meet Kristin Atherton
Who is the new Jenny? Kristin Atherton, an English actress perhaps best known for her audiobook recordings and work with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
“From the second I got this job, I was like, ‘There is no way you can step into Laura’s shoes,’” Kristin Atherton said to Decider. “Like I’m a huge fan of hers, anyway. I’ve seen her on stage. She’s phenomenal. So it became obvious to me really quickly, don’t try [to be her]. Just just do what you can do.”
“Kristin did fabulous work taking over the role of Jenny,” Outlander star John Bell gushed to Decider. “It is not easy to continue another actor’s performance of a character. We thought we all had amazing chemistry immediately and really felt that.”
Atherton agreed about the cast’s immediate chemistry, revealing from the moment she turned up on set, she felt like the cast was “family,” revealing the funny way she and her onscreen son, John Bell, met.
“I think I was getting my my wig test done and John came into the room for the first time to meet me. So I was there in a really unflattering cap,” Atherton said. “From that first moment, it was like, ‘This is my boy. This is my son.’”
“Everyone was like that. I met Sam [Heughan]. He was like, ‘Hey, Sis!’ He gave me the biggest hug. It’s such a privilege and everyone has been so welcoming, I could not be more grateful.”
Jenny might look slightly different, but she’s still Jenny: Young Ian’s mom and Jamie’s sister.
Outlander Season 7 Episode 9 “Unfinished Business” premieres tonight at 8:00 PM ET/PT on Starz, or you can stream it right now on the Starz app.
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