I tend to lie about it when people ask

in taxis and stuff what I do.

I say I'm a teacher or something

just to avoid the conversation. (laughs)

I'm Sophie Skelton, and this is "On The Rise."

I think my first sort of big acting role

was on stage when I was about seven.

I love the rush of being on stage.

You just look out and you can't even see the audience.

It's just sort of a black hole,

and there's something really liberating

about performing to that.

But I think with being on stage,

I did sort of crave that discretion of TV and film acting.

You can't really lie with your eyes,

and on stage, you have to make everything so much bigger

which in a way is brilliant,

but I also just wanted the realism that screen brings.

And screen stuff, I suppose, I started when I was about 17.

I wanted to be a surgeon for quite a long time as well,

so I studied biology, chemistry, maths, English,

further maths, all of that.

So I think my parents were actually quite

disappointed when I wanted to take the acting route.

They love it now.

They really like "Outlander" actually,

so they were thrilled when I got the job.

(upbeat music)

My very first real audition was actually

with Suzanne Smith, who interestingly,

is the one who cast me in "Outlander" years later.

So I think I was about 13 or 14.

I took the train to London.

My dad went with me.

And I remember being in a side street

rehearsing my lines with my dad.

I think it was for a Nickelodeon show.

And then, yeah, he kind of wandered off.

I went into the audition, and that was that, really.

I auditioned a lot for Suzanne before I finally

got "Outlander," so thanks.

(upbeat music)

My very first audition for Brianna

was actually in, I think, 2014.

I always do a lot of research

when I'm auditioning for a role,

so this TV series wasn't out yet

so I just had the script to go from.

But I called this local bookstore

where I was staying and asked if they had the books

and if they could sort of ship them in overnight.

And I went and picked up the books

and then read as much about Brianna as I could.

I just sort of fell in love with her.

I don't know, she's one of those characters

that you feel quite protective over all of a sudden,

and I think she's funny.

A lot of people don't like Brianna,

but I thought her humor was great in the books.

Obviously she has a temper and everything else, but.

And then I didn't anything for a year,

so I just thought someone else had got the role.

And you do so many auditions

that you can't really think about it,

but there are some that actually really sting.

And with Brianna, I was really quite gutted

that I didn't get the role.

And then about a year later, I got another email

from my agent to say, "Hey, can you audition

"for this role in 'Outlander?'

"She's called Brianna, she's American,

"redhead, blue-eyed, six foot."

And I was like, "I did audition for this about a year ago,"

and then I just found that they never actually brought

her into the series like they were going to.

And then, yeah, that was that, got the role.

I was really excited, obviously slightly nervous

because everything was really fast after that.

So I think my recall with Katrina was on the

4th of January if I remember correctly,

and then we had to go straight to Scotland

almost the next week and start

doing fittings and everything else.

It was a bit a whirlwind.

It was kind of hard to process.

And then, obviously, I had to keep it quiet

for ages 'cause the release wasn't until late March,

I think, they did the press release.

So I was just lying to everyone as to why I was in Glasgow.

So, yeah, sorry about that. (laughs)

(slow jazzy music)

So I had had a little bit of warning about the fandom.

Matt Roberts had called me into his office,

and he said, "Look, when the release goes out just be wary.

"Twitter's gonna go a little bit wild.

"Our fans are amazing, but they are very vocal."

And he also said with the fact that I don't have blue eyes

and red hair and everything else and that I'm not American,

he said there might be a few opinions,

so just don't take it to heart.

So when I was in London, and the release was going out,

the sort of official release,

I had a few hours till my train.

So I called my brother and I sort of said,

"Hey, I'm sorry I haven't actually been

"where I've said I've been the past couple of months,

"but I've got this role, the release is coming out.

"Can I just come and sit with you in the office

"while it all sort of dies down a bit?"

We went to a restaurant near King's Cross Station,

and we just got champagne,

and we just sat and watched Twitter all come through.

My brother and I both signed the receipt from that night,

just a little, I don't know, a little memory thing,

so I have that somewhere.

(slow jazzy music)

My first Comic-Con, I remember, was crazy.

They're so busy, it's such a whirlwind.

You just go from room to room, interview to interview.

But I think that was one of my first encounters

with "Outlander" fans because they just

turn up everywhere and it's amazing.

Wherever we are in the world, they always find out.

I don't know how.

They're like little detectives.

They just find out where you're gonna be

before you even know you're gonna be there,

and they buy the tickets.

They turn up, they have banners,

and there's just so much love from them

and it's amazing to see.

And I think that will always be one of my fondest memories

because the support is just incredible.

In all honesty, if I didn't have

to have social media for work, I wouldn't.

I find it a difficult one to navigate,

I think especially for people of my age

and the new generations coming up.

People who have children now,

I can't even imagine how you navigate

whether they should or shouldn't have Instagram

or how much you monitor it, anything else.

I think it can be quite a damaging platform,

but I do also think it can be a great thing.

Again, a way to spread sort of fandom

and love and news about shows and things like that.

In those ways, it can bring people together,

but I probably shouldn't say that, but there you go.

Sorry, Instagram.

My account's gonna be closed tomorrow.

(slow jazzy music)

It's funny you ask what my life

will look like in five years.

Actually, I'd love to worth with Saoirse Ronan.

She's just very quietly cool and quietly successful,

and she's always nominated.

And I would just love to work with her

and see how she works, really.

I'd love to do a ballet movie.

I'd love to do a superhero movie.

I know I should be saying that I'd love to do

loads of indie stuff, which I would,

but I also love "Avengers" and things like that,

so something like that would be really fun too.

(slow jazzy music)