Cameo suggestions for Diana

Diana Gabaldon mentioned the other day on Compuserve that the producers of the OUTLANDER TV series have asked her to do a cameo appearance:
The producers did ask me if I'd be an extra in one episode and I said I would. No idea what/when, though. And you don't know what may--or may not--happen, either. George RR [Martin] told me he'd done a cameo for one of the Game of Thrones episodes, but it ended up on the cutting-room floor!
I have no further details. In fact, I told Diana that I think it would be more fun for the fans if she doesn't tell us which scene or episode she'll be appearing in. Let's see how quickly the sharp-eyed OUTLANDER fans can spot her! <g>

In the meantime, I thought it might be fun to speculate about which scene you'd like to see Diana appear in. Keep in mind we're talking about the first book only, and that it would have to be a part with little or no dialogue.

There are certainly plenty of crowd scenes in OUTLANDER that Diana could appear in -- the mob at Cranesmuir, or the spectators at Colum's Hall, for example -- but my personal favorite for a possible Diana appearance would be as the woman in the cottage where Claire first encounters Jamie:
I was ignored as Dougal turned and spoke in a tongue I dimly recognized as Gaelic to a woman who cowered in the corner. Surrounded by the mass of men, I had not noticed her before. She was dressed oddly, I thought, in a long, ragged skirt and a long-sleeved blouse half-covered by a sort of bodice or jerkin. Everything was rather on the grubby side, including her face. Glancing around, though, I could see that the cottage lacked not only electrification but also indoor plumbing; perhaps there was some excuse for the dirt.

The woman bobbed a quick curtsy, and scuttling past Rupert and Murtagh, she began digging in a painted wooden chest by the hearth, emerging finally with a pile of ratty cloths.

“No, that won’t do,” I said, fingering them gingerly. “The wound needs to be disinfected first, then bandaged with a clean cloth, if there are no sterile bandages."

(From OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon, Chapter 3, "The Man in the Wood". Copyright© 1991 by Diana Gabaldon. All rights reserved.)
The idea that Diana should be present in that cottage, to witness Jamie and Claire's first meeting, has a lot of appeal to me. But of course I could be wrong.

What do the rest of you think? What scene would YOU like to see her in?

25 comments

Anonymous said...

I like it. There are so many places one could insert Herself for a cameo, but that one does have a certain je ne sais quoi...

Michele said...

I have two in mind, nope three:

1. It requires acting but how fun would it be if the woman in the shadows of the cottage where Claire mends Jamie's arm for the first time, who gets the rags for bandages were Diana?
2. One of the crowd at Hall when Jamie takes Laoghaire's beating. OR
3. One of the crowd in the courtyard and passage at Leoch as they surround Jamie carrying Claire when come back marrit.

Anonymous said...

Hey reading this I was wondering ..What is the connection with Diana and Game of Thrones?

Unknown said...

Yes - when Jamie first meets Claire would be ideal... but maybe a clan friend of Jenny's?

Unknown said...

Yes - when Jamie first meets Claire would be ideal. Or perhaps a villager friend of Jenny's - perhaps a mother-figure? And older woman who shares wisdom with the younger women in the clan.

Anonymous said...

The visual on that is spot on, Karen, since Diana is so well groomed.

Bev said...

That would be the perfect scene Karen! If they don't think that would work then perhaps Diana could be one of the dancing ladies in the stone circle.

Anonymous said...

Maybe watching when Jamie takes his "oath" to Colum.

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of Herself being one of the gypsies that Claire and Murtagh encounter on their road trip!
I could totally see Diana as a gypsy!:)

Anonymous said...

I have a few ideas -

1-I'd like to see her as part of the women (witches) who Claire witnesses at the stones before she transports

2-Any of the women who are watching the grand hall from above!

Anonymous said...

One of the women dancing around the stones..symbolically she has taken us on strip through the stones

Wendy W said...

How about as Colum's wife Letitia? No dialogue at all.

DG fan said...

Would love to see Davina Porter get a bit part, at some point. No offense to Herself, of course.

Anonymous said...

The connection between Diana and GRR Martin (Game of Thrones) is that they've both been in at least one anthology of short stories together, maybe (probably) more.

Anonymous said...

I would love to see her as one of the women at the circle of stones during the dancing and chanting.

Rebecca V said...

I think the devoted readers of the series would get a kick out of watching the writer of the series watching the main characters met each other for the first time. Kinda a full circle kinda thing!

Karen Henry said...

Lots of great suggestions -- thanks! I'm thrilled with the reaction to this post, both here on the blog and on my Facebook page. Keep the ideas coming! :-)

Karen

Anonymous said...

Do we know ANYTHING about the casting of the rest of the characters????

lesley said...

Hi Karen,
I also love the idea of Diana being the woman in the cottage at the first meeting.
But yes it would be fun not to know in advance and have to look out for her.
:-)

Unknown said...

Maybe as the woman helping Claire get ready for her wedding to Jamie...might be more than a cameo appearance but can see her pulling Claires hair severely up and helping her into that dress that still smelled of it's former occupant while she is sufferring a hang over LOL .. could be fun ..

Jayway2299 said...

How about Grannie MacNab?
I always liked the scene with Jamie standing in the ice-cold water and being so very polite to her, while he's freezing. I always imagined her waiting to see if he would emerge from the water naked. I believe she would have enjoyed the view. :)

Anonymous said...

The cottage scene, definitely. Jamie and Claire have been DG's babies for over 20 years now, and to be present when they first meet would be amazing. It would mean more than just a cameo spot in the series.

Anonymous said...

Claire reads fortunes when out with Murtagh...I think Diana could play a women that comes to have her fortune read or maybe she could play a gypsy towards the end of book 1.

Rhoda said...

I think it would be cool to have Davina Porter as an extra too, or have a speaking role.

Anonymous said...

How about Diana as the woman (publican's wife?) who dresses Claire for her wedding? Not too many lines and after all she's the one who got Claire and Jamie into this!!

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