‘Outlander’ Postmortem: All Hail King Louis XV!

Warning: This postmortem contains spoilers for the “Best Laid Schemes” episode of Outlander, which aired May 14.

Lionel Lingelser may be playing an all-powerful king on Outlander this season, but he’s not letting it go to his head. It is hard to imagine Louis XV apologizing for anything, yet mere seconds into our interview, Lingelser says, “Excuse me with English. I sometimes will not find the words. I am no good.”

Au contraire! As the man who brought Black Jack to his knees last week, and tears of laughter to our eyes while he sat on his, ahem, throne in front of his most important advisors and friends, Lingelser has proven to Outlander fans that he’s anything but “no good.”

How familiar were you with Outlander before you got the job?
Before the audition, I did not know the show or the books at all. I just heard of the success of the show in the United States when I went to audition for the role. It has all be a big surprise for me — the show, how good it is, how good the books are, what happens to everyone and most of all the fans and how many they are. After the casting, I read the book. Before that, it was only important for me to get the scent of the scene I had to audition with. But after my agent called me I began to read all the books from Diana. Then I discovered the first season.

What scene did you read for your audition?
It was a scene with Caitriona when the King is speaking to her very, very close. She comes to Versailles. It has not been on yet. So I should not talk more about it. It is in episode 7.

Related: ‘Outlander’ Postmortem: Meet Claire and Jamie’s New French Foe

How has life changed since becoming a part of such a beloved show with such a dedicated fanbase?
I have never done any role that is this loved. The fans are so supportive of the show. They make my Twitter blow up. They say nice things and talk about my baby face.

You play a historical figure, King Louis XV. Did you do much research on him?
I know some things because I am French and it is my history, but I also read books about the life of Louis. It was not my main source of work but I use it sometimes. I read a French book written by the domestique. How do you say in English? Servant, I think. They knew a lot of private stories and I learned a lot about his relationships with his mistresses and all the women.

We first meet the King on the toilet, as he’s struggling with constipation. Was it embarrassing or funny to film that scene?
It is very interesting to have this kind introduction to the audience. I am on the commode in front of all these people and that has never happened to me, Lionel, before. I do not go to the commode with an audience. But that was a normal day for the King Louis. That was probably how he started most days. But that scene was hard because Sam and everyone kept laughing. Finally after many times, Sam and everyone concentrated hard enough that we could get through all the faces and noises. It was most difficult for the cameraman. It was horrible for him. And I would see them and then it would make me smile.

I read that the first scene you filmed for the show was the interaction between Claire, Jamie, Black Jack and you, which was a brilliant scene and very important in the scheme of the show. Can you tell me about filming that day?
That was my first day on the set with the three main characters. I was very impressed by them because I had seen the first season and they are very good. I was there in the garden with them. It was so fun and cool. It was an important scene. It was the first time Jack Randall got on his knees in front of the others. They had never seen him like that, He was humiliated.

Not many people ever get to put Black Jack in his place even though everyone wants to.
Well I am the king. You have to bow to me. I have the power. The fans loved it and I could not have imagined that. This weekend I saw my Twitter and I was so surprised to discover how happy people were to see him defeated. People were just waiting for this scene to happen. I did not know they were waiting so hard. People made videos on my Twitter and they were saying things [like] “You are my hero. You put Black Jack on his knees.” People do not like him.

Are you worried, knowing what happens in episode 7, that people will be less happy with your character?
Yes, I think they will be happy with what happens and also not happy. Maybe next week I will not be the same hero. I thought about that when I was playing with Caitriona on those particular moments when she comes to ask me something. I cannot help what he has to do. He is the King. I think he is mostly kind. I think I look kind with my baby face. The casting director thought it would be interesting to cast me with my baby face as a man with all the power, and to put me in front of Caitriona and Jamie the big Highlander. I cannot change history.

He always seems very taken with Claire. What do you think he sees in her? Is it just that he is a ladies man and she is new?

Yes he loved to have new women and Claire is an intriguing, beautiful woman. Plus, he hears the stories and knows about La Dame Blanche.

So we learn in this episode that the King is out for blood with practitioners of the dark arts, and that comes into play in the next episode. Can you tease this?
Yes, I invite Claire to my chamber and crypt at Versailles. I need her to help me with a few people suspected of practicing the magic and the dark arts. She is not happy about it. She also has to ask me for a favor.

Which non-French actor had the best French? Was there ever a funny lost in translation moment?
It was very different to listen to them speak French. They all sound very different from the French actors. Caitriona speaks very good French. She understood French and had the closest accent because she worked a lot in France as a model. It was very funny to hear Sam speak French. He made a very big effort. It was so cute, so cute to hear the Scottish accent saying French words. He told me it was hard for him to learn. And I should not say anything because I have terrible English. Stanley [Weber, who plays Le Comte St. Germain], is much better at English. This was the second time I worked in English and the first when I played in the 18th century. I had a translator to help and also an English coach who helped all of us to speak English like in the 18th century. That was very very helpful for me. It was also nice because there were a lot of French actors there like Stanley and Claire Sermonne [Louise de Rohan]. I knew them already.

If you could travel in time like Claire, where and when would you go?
Umm. That is a good question. Maybe I would like to go to the time of the Maya. In Mexico in the mountains. They are totally connected with sun and the stars and nature, and they knew a lot of technology before we had modern technology. I think that would be interesting.

As long as you came back powerful. Because they also had a basketball like game where the losers were sacrificed.
Scary. Yeah. I would have to be the king. I know [what it is like to have] the power now.

Outlander airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on Starz.