Outlander star Sam Heughan shared his thoughts on filming the eighth and final season of the hit Starz series. The 44 year old actor was in attendance at a screening for his sultry Starz thriller, The Couple Next Door, when host Josh Horowitz from the Happy Sad Confused podcast inquired about Outlander, reports the Scottish Daily Express.
Specifically, Horowitz asked Heughan about his experience shooting the final season, including returning to film some additional scenes. Heughan revealed: “We’d finished but we were going back for like, I think, two weeks.”
He elaborated on how it felt strange to return, saying: “In some ways, it was kinda weird because, I think Richard [Rankin] and Sophie [Skelton] had been wrapped out three times.”
Heughan recalled how his co-stars were given a sendoff, only to return the next day: “They were like, ‘It’s your final day on set, yeah!’ And everyone gives a round of applause and then they were back the next day.”
As for his own emotions during the shoot, Heughan reflected: “I mean, look the whole of last year actually was very emotional. It was a very difficult one.”
He attributed this to the looming conclusion of the series: “I know why because we knew it was coming. Some days it just felt like another day on set. It was like, ‘Oh, this is what we’ve done for the last 11 years.'”
Heughan highlighted the bittersweet nature of the experience: “And then other days you’re like, ‘This is the last time I will ever put on this garter or boot, or whatever it was.’ So it was like, ‘This is the last time I’ll be with this person.'”.
He concluded by mentioning the numerous goodbyes and the emotional weight of the final day: “And there were a lot of goodbyes and the last day was very emotional.”
Outlander was the springboard that launched Heughan into stardom, following smaller parts in BBC’s medical drama Doctors, Hallmark’s heartwarming film A Christmas Princess and Heart of Lightness.
But it was his portrayal of Jamie Fraser in Outlander that catapulted him to international fame.
Since his breakout role in Outlander, Heughan has showcased his acting chops in a variety of projects including films like Bloodshot, The Spy Who Dumped Me, SAS: Red Notice, and It’s All Coming Back To Me.
His television credits include roles in Suspect, The Couple Next Door, and To Olivia, as well as his travelogue with Outlander co-star Graham McTavish, Men In Kilts. According to IMDb, he’s set to appear next in Everest, which is currently in production.
Not one to sit idle, Heughan is also a businessman, with ventures such as his Sassenach Spirits whisky brand and fitness company My Peak Challenge under his belt.