We love this bit of TV trivia…

Outlander is a show with a huge following and fans pride themselves on their knowledge and dedication to the series. But many might be surprised to learn that one star of the historical drama comes from a very famous family – can you guess their relative?

Chris Larkin, who first appeared as Robert Brown in Outlander for its fifth series in 2020, is the son of hailed thespian Dame Maggie Smith. Chris, 54, is the eldest son of Maggie and her late husband Sir Robert Stephens, who was also an actor.

Following in his parents’ footsteps, Christopher began his acting career by studying at LAMDA and had early roles in TV and radio shows. However, the actor wanted to make a career in performing from his own talent, so changed his name from Stephens to Larkin. His brother, Toby, is also an esteemed actor.

His first major film credit came when he starred as Capt. Howard of the Marines in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World alongside other acting heavyweights Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany.

© Starz

Did you know Chris Larkin is the son of Dame Maggie Smith?

TV and film fans might also recognise him from the 2008 film Valkyrie alongside Tom Cruise, and Endeavour opposite Shaun Evans and Roger Allam.

Nowadays, he’s perhaps best-known for appearing in Outlander as Richard Brown. In series five, his character’s brother Lionel was behind the attack on Claire Fraser, played by Caitriona Balfe.

Jamie, played by Sam Heughan, ended up saving her and Lionel was soon killed by deadly injection, before Jamie brought his body to Richard to show his act of revenge. However, despite Richard saying Jamie “did what he had to do”, he added a thinly-veiled threat: “As will I when the time comes.”

Outlander recently returned for series six

She might have two grown-up sons with successful acting careers, but Dame Maggie shows no sign of slowing down her work. The actress, whose impressive filmography spans over 50 years, is about to star in the second movie adaptation of period drama Downton Abbey.

The film will see Maggie reprise her role as Lady Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, alongside other familiar Downton faces like Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Michelle Dockery. Downton Abbey 2 is due for release in April 2022.