When Izzy Meikle-Small joined Outlander in Season 7 as Rachel Hunter, she stepped into a series with years of history already behind it and a fanbase that knows its rhythms by heart. Even so, Rachel found her footing fast, bringing a calm new presence into the Fraser orbit at a moment when the story was narrowing toward its end. And with Season 8—the show’s final run, set to premiere March 6, 2026, on Starz—Rachel’s place in the ensemble is set to matter even more.

A key component of Rachel’s strength comes from how clearly she reads on screen. Her Quaker faith sits at the center of who she is, shaping the way she listens, the way she speaks, and the way she holds her ground when the world turns unforgiving. She carries herself with a steadiness that feels lived-in, and her work as a surgeon adds another layer of quiet authority. As Denzell Hunter’s sister, she also enters the era’s chaos with an internal compass that doesn’t shift easily.

By the end of Season 7, Rachel’s relationships have begun to take on real weight. Her connection with Young Ian balances tenderness with grit, while her growing bond with Claire makes room for scenes built on shared intelligence and hard-won understanding. And it’s the kind of dynamic that fits Outlander at its best—intimate, practical, and rooted in what people will do for each other.

Now, ahead of the final season, Meikle-Small spoke to Stardust about stepping into Outlander as Rachel Hunter, building chemistry inside a cast with years of shared history, and helping bring the series to a close.

You joined Outlander in Season 7, walking into a show with a decade of history and an intensely observant fanbase. What helped you get your footing fastest once you landed on set?

Izzy Meikle-Small: I would definitely say the other actors. I met John Bell, who plays my husband, at the chemistry read a few weeks before and we immediately got on so well. And then the night before my first day on set I met Joey Phillips, who plays my brother. We went to get a drink at the hotel bar and talked for hours. It felt like I had known him for years! I think actors can bond very quickly and intensely, and that’s what happened in both of those cases. And then the next day I had a scene with both of them, and it felt so comfortable so quickly. They are both still very close friends of mine.

Rachel’s faith certainly shapes her in several ways. What were the little details you focused on to make that feel real?

Izzy Meikle-Small: Yes, being a Quaker is a huge part of who Rachel is, how she sees the world, and the choices she makes. Quakers are pacifists, and obviously, our characters are set against this backdrop of war and violence. She ends up marrying a warrior, and her brother takes her to work for the Continental Army in the hospitals. All of these choices would be very unlikely for a woman of her faith at the time. However, I think what’s so interesting about Rachel is that even though she is very devout, she is not defined by her faith. Her moral code guides her, but beneath her faith is a very real, very feisty, living, breathing woman with wants and fears. She loves a man she should not, and I think that’s what makes their love story all the more special. I think what helped bring her to life were her costumes and focusing on the language. Quakers spoke in plain speech, which can sound a little awkward amongst other voices. However, I think it served as a constant reminder of her difference in a way I found helpful.

Rachel and Ian’s relationship has a really distinct tenderness to it. When you and John Bell were building that dynamic, what did you want it to feel like at its core?

Izzy Meikle-Small: We definitely wanted there to be a softness and tenderness to it. The fans have seen John’s character grow up over the years, and seen Young Ian’s character go through so much heartbreak—there is something about his ending with Rachel that we wanted to feel like a soft landing. Rachel has an innate softness to her, and we loved the idea that she helps bring that out of the warrior Ian. I also think it evolved that way naturally. John and I are very close and I think that friendship and ease came through in our on-screen chemistry.

Without delving into major spoilers, how does Rachel’s center of gravity shift in the final season? Did you find yourself playing her with different instincts than you did in Season 7?

Izzy Meikle-Small: I think that so much of Season 7 for Rachel, was her ‘coming of age’. She was exploring who she was outside of her Quaker community for the first time. She was working in the army hospitals away from home, she was separated from her brother for the first time, and she fell in love. We return to her in Season 8, and she has matured so much. She is married, living on the Ridge and about to become a Mother. That’s a huge emotional shift to map in terms of her development. Her focus really becomes her family, her child and her husband. She makes a lot of sacrifices and compromises in order to fight for what she ultimately wants. Rachel has always had a feistiness and a quiet strength, but I think her fortitude really comes to the fore in this season.

Outlander can switch from huge scope to more intimate moments in the same episode. What type of scene taught you the most about Rachel: medical work, family moments, or something entirely different?

Izzy Meikle-Small: I loved doing the medical work, and the large ensemble scenes, but honestly, I think the scenes where I learn most about Rachel are when she’s with the other female characters. We don’t often get to have scenes together, we are often paired off with our husbands/brothers, etc. But I think there’s a real magic when the women of Outlander get to come together. We are all so different that we bring out different sides of our characters when we are together. Rachel becomes a little funnier when she’s with Brianna, or a little stronger when she’s with Claire.

When fans look back on Rachel’s time in Outlander, what do you hope they remember most about her?

Izzy Meikle-Small: I hope they remember her kindness and her strength. I think there is so much duality in Rachel, her faith and her feistiness, and I hope she helps people remember that you don’t have to be just one thing—you don’t have to be so easily defined.

You also produce. When you’re helping shape a project from the ground up, what kinds of stories are you most drawn to, and what usually makes you say yes?

Izzy Meikle-Small: That’s a great question—I think every project I have taken on so far has been different from the previous, but when I zoom out, I realize there are definite trends. I love projects that follow the female experience and perspective, and I’ve often been drawn to dark comedies. I’ve worked exclusively with directors who started as actors, and I think this is because the way an actor/director wants to tell a story aligns with how I, an actor/producer, want to tell a story—it’s all about character. As actors, we end up being defined by our age, gender, casting bracket—but as filmmakers, we aren’t. You can explore narratives you wouldn’t be able to if you were on the other side of the camera, and that opens up whole new worlds.

Outlander Season 8 is now streaming on Starz.