Richard Rankin first appeared on our screens back in 2006 and since has gone from strength to strength in the TV industry.
He began his professional career 17 years ago, starring alongside Robert Florence in VideoGaiden, a Scottish video game show which originally aired on BBC Two Scotland.
He went on to mark his presence in the industry by securing various shows under his belt including the Scottish TV show Legit, The Old Guys, Taggart and most recently, Rebus.
The 40 -year-old also featured numerous times in BBC comedy sketch show Burnistoun, which premiered in 2009 and ran for three series.
Best known for his role as Roger Wakefield MacKenzie in the STARZ drama Outlander, the star also has various accolades under his belt.
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In 2011, he won Best Actor at the Glasgow 48 Hour Film Project for the Dead Ringer, a short film filmed within a forty-eight-hour period.
He then went on to secure a Satellite Award for Best Ensemble (Television) in 2017 for his performance in Outlander.
The star was also nominated for a Saturn and a WhatsOnSte award in 2021 for Outlander and his role in The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Richard, also known as Rik, was born in Glasgow in 1983 and grew up in the west end of the city.
Rankin initially attended Glasgow Caledonian University, studying IT, but changed course after a chance encounter at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during a holiday in Los Angeles - which would subsequently change his life.
At the time, a local film producer told the then 22-year-old that he had the look of an actor, and upon his return to Glasgow, Rankin auditioned for Langside College with his brother Colin Harris.
He told Glasgow Times: "I met a producer – I think he worked on The OC, although I'm not 100 per cent sure – but he was one of the execs on a show like that," says Richard. "He was at the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard with his cast and they were chilling out."
The pair got chatting and the producer told Richard he had a good look for an actor and asked if he had ever considered it as a career? "I was like: 'OK, whatever …' but it was enough to plant the seed."
The pair graduated and went on to a career in acting, but when Rankin, who was then known by his birth name of Richard Harris, applied for his Equity card, he began using his mother's maiden name to prevent confusion with Irish actor Richard Harris.
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Now, the star travels around the world, doing various acting jobs and most recently finished filming the seventh season of the time-travelling drama.
He was recently pictured at the season 7 Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival with his girlfriend, Sammie Russell, the founding director of Dream With Me.
She is the owner of the renowned Australian luxury sleepwear label, which offers an approach to pyjama dressing.
Sammie is available on social media with the user handle @sammierussell; however, she has kept it private - and lives a private life with the Scottish star.
The best of Outlander
Richard has been in two famous relationships to date.
He was dating his co-star Cara Theobold while they were shooting for BBC One drama show The Syndicate.
They both kept their relationship private for some time. However, they were seen together in public and at events very close to each other, but never confirmed the romance.
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