Summary
- Sam Heughan’s portrayal of James Fraser in Outlander elevated the series to massive success.
- Heughan desires to return to his roots in theater, showcasing his versatility and talent.
- Despite hints of returning for the SAS sequel, it remains uncertain if Heughan will do more on-screen projects.
Over more than a decade, Ronald D. Moore’s historical drama series, Outlander first hit the screens, and, ever since, has continued to draw in people with its gritty set in breathtaking Scotland, moving all the way to sparkly France, and then vast America. Based on Diana Gabaldon’s novel series of the same name, the story follows the wild journey of a World War II military nurse, Claire Randall, who accidentally travels 200 years back in time to the year 1743, where she not only grows close with a head-strong Highlander, James Fraser, but also becomes witness to the Jacobite uprising and many other huge moments in history.
Over an incredible seven seasons, James and Claire defy impossible odds but also see far too many heart-shattering moments. The second part of the seventh season will air in November 2024 and surely hold many more ground-breaking twists and turns, but sadly, Season 8 will bring the lovers’ story to an end. With this, our beloved actors are eager to embark on a new journey. One of them is Sam Heughan, who portrays one of the main characters and the most impactful role on the show, James Fraser, but, unlike his colleagues, we might never see Heughan acting on screen again, and here is why.
Outlander
- Release Date
- August 9, 2014
- Cast
- Caitriona Balfe , Sam Heughan , Tobias Menzies , Graham McTavish , Lauren Lyle , Stephen Walters , Gary Lewis , Nell Hudson , Lotte Verbeek , César Domboy , Richard Rankin , Sophie Skelton
The Iconic Role of James Fraser
Back in 2013, Heughan was cast as Outlander‘s James Fraser and became the first actor to be officially announced as a part of the series. One of the major reasons he landed the role was that the author of the book, Gabaldon, saw his Scottish pride and pure heart from the very first moment. There is no doubt that the author was absolutely right because Heughan brings everything and more to the table in order to bring Fraser to life.
Sam Heughan stepping into the role of James Fraser was certainly a match made in heaven. Throughout the seasons, it became increasingly obvious that the actor is utterly dedicated to delivering his best performance possible, and played an enormous part in turning Outlander into the wildly successful show it is today. Gritty sword and fist fights, blood-curling torture, seductive love, and steamy moments made Outlander into an enormous hit, and it is safe to say that Heughan has played a major role in delivering the story of Claire and James in an authentic way.
The way he effortlessly steps into a different character, no matter how rough the conditions or demanding the scenes are, has certainly helped him make himself a name in the industry. That is the reason why the expectations of seeing him return for another huge project are so high. With Outlander standing as an anomaly in his career, it wouldn’t be surprising if Heughan returned to his typical on-stage roles.
Heughan’s Return to His Roots
Sam Heughan is definitely known to the majority as Outlander’s James Fraser, the image of the Highlander burnt into their brains and his kindness as well as firmness is hard to forget, even when the actor changes his appearance. However, Outlander wasn’t his first experience when it comes to performing, because before his huge break-through, the actor predominantly delivered outstanding performances on stage rather than in front of the camera.
In a 2021 interview with The Scotsman, Heughan talked about returning to the stage once he had fulfilled his commitments to Outlander. He said, “I’d love to go back to theater. I have been talking to various people, before the pandemic. It’s about scheduling and that’s kind of tough right now with the film schedule I’ve got, but in the future, I’d love to.”
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Recently, having watched his friend and mentor, James McAvoy, during his performance in Cyrano, Heughan was reminded of his passion for stage plays (via Daily Record). The actor has already proven many years ago that he has the talent and skills to step into a character and draw the audience right in. With this love for theater lingering underneath the surface, the desire to return and improve his skills even more is ever-present.
There Is a Glimpse of Hope
Despite Heughan’s longing for the theater stage, there is a slight hope that he will return for one of his old on-screen roles. Back in 2021, the actor stepped into the role of Tom Buckingham in the action movie, SAS: Red Notice. Following Tom and his future wife, Sophie, as they are on a train deep in the Channel Tunnel, the movie turns thrilling when a group of criminals tries to hijack it, and Tom is suddenly responsible for the survival of all the passengers.
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The great news is that a sequel of SAS: Red Notice, written and directed once again by Laurence Malkin, is apparently already in development, but, unfortunately, there hasn’t been an official announcement with regard to the cast. There haven’t been any details about the sequel in general, but when the first movie was released, Heughan mentioned that he would be up for a second one.
Even though it is uncertain whether we will get to see our beloved James Fraser actor, Sam Heughan, for new on-screen projects again, he certainly has become one of the most memorable actors of his time. Stream Outlander on Netflix.
