Onscreen, Sam Heughan is used to living in uncertain times. After all, the 41-year-old actor leads Starz’s hit series Outlander, on which he plays an 18th-century Scottish warrior who falls in love with a 20th-century time traveler (Caitriona Balfe). It’s a bodice ripper of a show that’s probably your aunt’s not-so-guilty pleasure.
But off-screen, filming the show’s sixth season (premiering March 6) during lockdown, in the middle of a freezing Scottish winter, was a challenge. “At least we were able to work, so we just feel really fortunate,” says Heughan. “[Working] got me through the pandemic.”
His hustle these past two years is paying off. Beyond Outlander, he launched an award-winning whisky (the Sassenach), released two best-selling books and a travel show about Scotland, expanded his online wellness program (MyPeakChallenge), and starred in three movies. Up next, a new rom-com, Text for You, opposite Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Céline Dion(!?).
His work ethic also brought him to Men’s Health’s March style shoot in Los Angeles, where he showed up limping with a knee injury after a recent bike accident—and still pushed through. He had just signed up for an ultramarathon in Scotland.
“I don’t know if it’s foolish,” he says. He will not, however, admit to using time travel for a stronger finish.
We talked to Heughan in a bit more depth about his personal style, and how filming Outlander got him through the height of the pandemic.
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What was the experience on Season 6 of Outlander like?
Outlander is a pretty intense, dramatic show. But behind the scenes we do have a good time. Everyone is so good natured. You get so close to the rest of the cast and crew, and we’re always laughing and enjoying each other’s company. It’s a tight-knit family. We have to be, especially this year because of the pandemic. We were shooting in winter in Scotland, which is freezing cold, so it was pretty tough, but a really good sense of humor gets you through it.
The first few days of shooting are kind of unsettling. It feels like you’re in this post-apocalyptic world, but to be honest, once you get on set, you just feel so lucky to be able to work and to be kept safe and to hopefully provide some entertainment. I was actually shooting [Text for You] as well in London. To be honest, working on that movie and Outlander got me through the pandemic.
Jason Bell
What can fans expect from your character, Jamie Fraser, this season?
To tease the season, Jamie’s past comes back to haunt him, an old adversary in the shape of a man called Tom Christie. He was also a fellow intimate in prison with Jamie years ago, and now he comes to live on Fraser’s Ridge with his family, and they really signal the beginning of the decay of the Fraser’s power.
That Frasers have become affluent. The town has grown. Jamie and his wife Claire (Balfe) almost seem to be like chiefs. They’re very good landowners, but with the arrival of this new family, we really start to see people’s support and loyalty to Frasers start to wane, and it signals the beginning of change in Fraser’s Ridge.
Season 6 takes place during the American Revolutionary War. Are there any clothes on set that you really liked?
The costumes are incredible in Outlander. We have a new costume designer, and the clothes really help me get into character. Jamie’s boots are fantastic. They’re partly for riding so they support and protect your legs, and they give you so much power. They really root and ground you. I loved wearing them.
All the clothing we wear keeps you warm in the winter in Scotland. They’re heavy, especially Jamie’s riding coat. It weighs you down, but it looks really fantastic, and helped me as an actor be transported to that time period.
Robert Wilson
How would you describe your personal style since joining Outlander?
I think it’s safe to say that before Outlander, I didn’t really have a sense of style. I just wore stuff that I was comfortable in. I didn’t really have access to a lot of fashion brands. But since Outlander, I’ve been very lucky to get to learn about fashion through these photo shoots and red carpet appearances.
My style has definitely changed in the past few years. I’ve experimented more. I do love a leather jacket. I probably have far too many in my wardrobe. I spend a lot of time in Scotland, and the weather isn’t great, and I’m in the outdoors a lot, so I tend to wear a lot of boots, and blue jeans. I guess that’s my standard outfit. I need my clothes to be versatile, adapt to the weather, and adapt to whatever I’m doing that day.
Your birthday is coming up. Are there any goals that you want to accomplish in the next year?
I used to do a lot of cycling when I was younger, and I haven’t been doing it recently. So I’m looking to get myself a road bike and take it up again. Also, I don’t know if it’s foolish, but I signed up for an ultra marathon in Scotland, so that’s gonna be a challenge for me.
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