PASADENA, Calif. — You would never guess by watching Scottish actor Sam Heughan in the hotly
awaited series
Outlander that he is painfully shy.
“I have no interest in the celebrity side or people knowing who I am,” said Heughan, seated in a
Pasadena hotel.
“I think it’s more about the characters you tell. And you can hide behind them. . . . It feels
very odd to have to be yourself. I’d much rather be someone different.”
The same holds true for other roles, he said.
“It happens with each character: You take on board their life to live like they do.”
Heughan (“HEW-uhn”) certainly earned his wish with the mystical Starz series, which premieres
tonight. A married combat nurse in 1945 is suddenly hurled back in time to the 18th century, where
she meets an intrepid warrior, Jamie Fraser, played by Heughan.
“In that time period, people had to grow up fast,” he said. “There were a lot of hard trials. A
man around 40 was an old person. And Jamie’s had the history: He’s been flogged, beaten, a tough
childhood, taught to be disciplined, he got beaten by his father. But it’s just rough justice. So I
think I can bring that side to it. It’s really interesting to see what parts of your life you take
to each character.”
Heughan brought his own trials to the role. His father left the family when Sam was 3. His
mother was a student and worked odd jobs, including a stint as a clog shoemaker, to care
Article source: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2014/08/09/outlander-actor-immerses-self-in-role.html
