Outlander’s Sam Heughan in Conversation with Josh Horowitz

Born in Scotland, actor Sam Heughan has been making his mark in film, television, and the theater.

Currently, he is captivating audiences with his portrayal of Jamie Fraser alongside Caitriona Balfe on Starz’s hit drama series Outlander. The sixth season, which had Heughan as a producer, premieres this March, with seventh season in the works.

Since starring in Outlander, Heughan has received numerous nominations including BAFTA Scotland Best Actor and Critics’ Choice Best Actor. He has also won many fan-generated accolades, including People’s Choice Award, Entertainment Weekly’s EW Best Actor – Drama and Radio Times TV Champion.

Heughan is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. In 2003, he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Performance for his role in Outlaying Islands by David Greig at The Royal Court and Traverse Theatre. While at the Royal Scottish Academy, Heughan also starred in the productions of Crime & Punishment, The Seagull and Prometheus Bound.

On stage, Heughan has performed at a variety of theaters in the U.K. in various classical and new writing pieces, plus the London West End, including such productions as King John, Romeo and Juliet, The Vortex, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Plague over England amongst others.

In 2011, Heughan originated the role of Batman in the DC / Warner Bros. and Waterlane production of Batman Live, an international tour which opened at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and went on to tour Las Vegas, South America and throughout the U.K and Europe.

Heughan has had roles in a range of television series including River City, Island at War, The Wild West, Party Animals, Midsomer Murders, Rebus, and Any Human Heart. His TV movie credits include Breaking the Mould for BBC Television, A Very British Sex Scandal for Channel 4 and First Light for BBC2, an adaptation of the book, where he played the lead character Geoffrey Wellum. He was nominated for a Grace Award for his performance as Prince Ashton, the son of Sir Roger Moore, in A Princess for Christmas for Hallmark Channel. His other credits include Young Alexander the Great, Emulsion, Heart of Lightness, and When the Starlight Ends, an independent movie shot in Los Angeles.

Last year, Sam could be seen in the films To Olivia and SAS: Red Notice, alongside Ruby Rose and Andy Serkis. Heughan also recently starred alongside Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon in the Lionsgate film, The Spy Who Dumped Me and the action comic book movie, Bloodshot with Vin Diesel. Heughan can next be seen in the romantic drama, Text For You alongside Priyanka Chopra and Celine Dion.

Outside of acting, Heughan has quite a few passion projects. In 2020, he released his own whiskey, The Sassenach, which has been highly awarded including Double Gold at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirit Competition. Last year, Heughan partnered with El Tequileño Master Distiller Antonio Salles to create El Tequileño “The Sassenach Select”, a small batch, limited- edition aged tequila, which immediately sold out on its first release.

Heughan released his first book, Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other, which he co-wrote with his Outlander co-star, Graham McTavish, in November. The book became a New York Times #1 Bestseller. Heughan and McTavish also co-produced and star together in the Starz docuseries, Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham, which premiered in February 2021. Heughan then followed with a second New York Times Bestseller, Clanlands Almanac. All of these projects celebrate the history, culture and beauty of their home country, Scotland.

Additionally, Heughan created My Peak Challenge, a wellness brand that promotes a healthy lifestyle — whilst raising money for charity. The brand has already over 10,000 subscribers, an online international community and raised millions of dollars for the leukemia and lymphoma charity, Bloodwise.

Josh Horowitz is a host for MTV and Comedy Central. He has been the face and voice of MTV News’ movies coverage since 2006, covering the Academy Awards, the Cannes Film Festival, Comic-Con, and anchoring red carpet coverage around the world. He currently hosts the Comedy Central talk show, Untitled Josh Horowitz Show. Since 2014, Josh has hosted the celebrity interview podcast, Happy Sad Confused, welcoming the likes of Al Pacino, Quentin Tarantino, and Jane Fonda for in depth conversations. He lives in New York City.