Sam Heughan has become a huge star with an army of adoring fans thanks to the global success of time travelling historic drama Outlander.
In the television series former Second World War military nurse Claire Randall (played by Caitríona Balfe) travels back from 1945 to 1743 where she encounters, falls in love with, and marries a Heughan’s Highland warrior character Jamie Fraser who becomes embroiled in the Jacobite rising.
With a huge 75 episodes already in the can, and another 16-episode seventh season on the way, there’s been huge media interest along the way. It’s inevitably seen the leading man take part in hours of interviews, and he’s never anything less than hugely entertaining.
Here these are some of the most quotable comments he’s come out with about the television series that made him famous.
5. Sam Heughan on...missing out on parts
"I auditioned for 'Game of Thrones' seven times! Loads of times." Photo: Jon Kopaloff
6. Sam Heughan on...challenging himself
"Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but I enjoy anything where you get to flex your acting muscles, you get to really go for it." Photo: Paul Archuleta
7. Sam Heughan on...theatre school
"I don't know if anyone knows if they're ever any good, but I went to drama school in Scotland, in a classical acting course, and my first year, I remember one of my tutors telling me that I couldn't act, and I should give up and all this sort of thing, and then, they cast me as Romeo in 'Romeo and Juliet.'" Photo: David Livingston
8. Sam Heughan on...playing real life people
"I've done quite a few things based on real events or real people, and I think that's always really interesting that you can read about them or, if you're lucky, you can meet them." Photo: Tristan Fewings