If you tune into this week’s all-new episode of Outlander: Blood of My Blood, you’ll discover at the very end that it’s dedicated to actor Brian McCardie. Immediately after the final scene comes to a close, there’s a title screen that reads, “In Loving Memory of our Beloved Friend and Colleague BRIAN McCARDIE.”
So who exactly was Brian McCardie? Why does the Starz show dedicate this specific episode in his honor? Did the actor playing the villainous rival Laird Isaac Grant really die during production of Blood of My Blood Season 1? And what does this mean for the rest of the first season of the Outlander spin-off?
**Spoilers for Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 4 “Heart of a Soldier,” now streaming on Starz**
In Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 4 “Heart of a Soldier,” the focus pivots back to Henry (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia’s (Hermione Corfield) story. While Julia conspires to convince Lord Lovat (Tony Curran) that her baby is actually his, thereby preserving her place at Castle Leathers and ensuring the unborn child’s safety, Henry finds himself given more and more responsibility as the Grant family’s bladier. It is now Henry’s job to collect rent from the Grants’ impoverished tenants.
Over the course of Outlander: Blood of My Blood, Henry finds himself torn between his own moral principals and the ruthless reality of 1714 Scotland. As Arch Bug (Terence Rae) repeatedly hammers home, his life is on the line if he doesn’t bring Isaac Grant back the increased rents the laird has demanded. When it’s obvious that some tenants have larger struggles than others, Henry borrows a scheme from his time period to raise funds. He creates a lottery system. Tenants can buy into this lottery as much as they want and the winner of the draw will get a free year of rent. Thus incentivizing the richer tenants to pay more.
Even though Henry’s plan is a smashing success, Isaac Grant is furious about it. Henry is once again threatened by the violent man, played by none other than the aforementioned Brian McCardie.
So what happened to Blood of My Blood star Brian McCardie? Does he appear in the rest of the season? Where else have you seen the Scottish actor before? Here’s everything you need to know about why Outlander: Blood of My Blood Episode 4 is dedicated to Brian McCardie…
Brian McCardie was a Scottish actor known for his work in the popular BBC police drama Line of Duty, the film Rob Roy, and shows like The Bill, Snatch, Ordeal By Innocence, and even the original Outlander. (He played Sir Marcus MacRannoch in the infamous Season 1 episode, “Wentworth Prison.”)
McCardie was cast as formidable and wealthy laird Isaac Grant in Outlander: Blood of My Blood. However, he passed away suddenly during filming the first season. Last spring, his sister Sarah McCardie announced his death on X.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Brian James McCardie (59), beloved son, brother, uncle and dear friend to so many,” she wrote in 2024. “Brian passed away suddenly at home on Sunday 28th April. A wonderful and passionate actor on stage and screen, Brian loved his work and touched many lives, and is gone much too soon.”
She continued, “We love him and will miss him greatly; please remember Brian in your thoughts. Funeral arrangements will be announced in the days ahead. As a family, we would ask for privacy at this time.”
In May 2024, the McCardie family revealed the cause of the 59-year-old’s death, posting that “Brian died due to an aortic dissection, causing short pain and a sudden death.”
So far Starz has only sent journalists the first six episodes of Outlander: Blood of My Blood Season 1, so we can only confirm that McCardie does not appear in Episodes 5 or 6. His character is referred to several times, but is always off-screen. So it’s yet unclear if he passed away before finishing his work on the season or if he managed to film scenes for a future episode.