Richard Rankin (born Richard Harris on 4 January 1983) is a Scottish film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for the Scottish sketch show Burnistoun and as Roger Mackenzie Wakefield in the Starz drama Outlander.\n', '

Rankin was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1983 and spent part of his childhood in the West End of the city before moving to King\'s Park when he was ten years old, eventually attending Stonelaw High School. One of four boys born to a police officer father and a mother in the hotel industry, he originally planned a career in the sciences or Information Technology.\n', '

Rankin initially attended Glasgow Caledonian University as an IT major, but changed course after a chance encounter at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during a holiday in Los Angeles. A local film producer told the then 22-year-old that he had the look of an actor, and upon his return to Glasgow, Rankin auditioned for Langside College with his brother Colin Harris. Both graduated and went on to a career in acting, but when Rankin, who was then known by his birth name of Richard Harris, applied for his Equity card he began using his mother\'s maiden name (Rankine) to prevent confusion with Irish actor Richard Harris.\n', '

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