Outlander’s Sam Heughan Reveals Why He’s So Lucky To Have Landed The Role

Sam Heughan playing Jamie Fraser in Outlander Season 4

Outlander is gearing up to air its fourth season over at Starz. Since the show takes a considerable time to film and then piece together, the cast has been involved for far longer, and Sam Heughan was signed on back in July of 2013. Now, the Outlander actor has opened up about getting to do the popular show and why he's so "lucky." He said in a recent interview:

It's so crazy to think that we've been doing this for so long now. When you get the opportunities to go do other stuff, it's nice. But it also makes you realize what you have and how lucky you are. We were overjoyed they gave us two more seasons, and it feels like there's a new life this season. It's going to be refreshing and good for us.

Overall, Sam Heughan's perspective about creating a show thatis lengthy and time-consuming seems pretty good. He's very aware of how lucky he is to have landed the role in one of Starz's flagship series. Outlander, in particular, is an interesting case for a TV series, as well.

Along with the time travel component for Claire, in the past Claire and Jamie also do a lot of traveling. The first season is mostly set in Scotland. Much of the second season is set in Paris. The third season is in the Caribbean mainly and we know Season 4 will take the fearless couple to Colonial America. There's always a lot of change on the series and that would seemingly be refreshing compared to other programs.

Speaking to EW as part of its cover feature this month, the actor did speak out about liking to get away from Jamie Fraser every now and again. This year the actor notably appeared in The Spy Who Dumped Me and he's filming a movie called Bloodshot during his Outlander gap which is expected to premiere in 2020.

Yet, Outlander remains the prominent role for Sam Heughan. It's the role that made him a household name for a lot of TV viewers. In fact, Outlander fans are extremely passionate, so much so that they even have a nickname: Heughligans. Having a name and a fanbase can get you a long way in showbiz, and Sam Heughan, at least, seems grateful for the opportunity the show has afforded him.

Especially now that Starz has signed on for two more seasons of the hit series. Currently, Diana Gabaldon has published eight books in the series, with a ninth forthcoming, so if the series follows the same trajectory, there will be a lot of work for Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe in the years to come, as well.

If you'd like to take a look at what is going to happen with Outlander Season 4, the full trailer for the new series has already released and you can take a look below. Or take a look at reactions ahead of the premiere.

Outlander will be returning for Season 4 on Sunday, November 4, only on Starz. To find out what we know about the upcoming episodes, go ahead and take a look at our full guide.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.