Sam Heughan Was First Choice for Outlander's Jamie Fraser
The show's casting director has shed light onto the audition process for the role.
We love period dramas for their seemingly exotic ambience, but there have been so many of them that it's unlikely that one would watch a historical show just for the sake of it. Perhaps for this reason, such shows often feature steamy moments now. And while you must think of Bridgerton at this point, it actually wasn't the first period drama to feature titillating bed scenes.
Debuting in 2014, Starz's Outlander instantly won over viewers who were smitten with its fascinating plot and uninhibited sex scenes. Following Claire, a mid-twentieth century woman who accidentally time-travels to 1740s Scotland, and Jamie Fraser, a Scottish rebel she falls in love with, the show has spanned seven seasons so far, with the second part of season 7 and the eighth and final installment to be released yet.
Portrayed by Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, respectively, the characters are so iconic at this point that it's hard to imagine some other actors playing them. Remarkably, in Jamie's case it couldn't have been anyone else.
The Outlander Casting Director's Revelations
According to Suzanne Smith, the casting director on Outlander, back in 2013 when Starz was casting actors for their newest upcoming project, based on Diana Gabaldon's novels, the network considered the role of James Fraser the hardest to find an actor that would fit it. Interestingly enough, it proved to be otherwise as Sam Haughan, Smith's first pick, instantly landed the part – his physique was one of the prime factors behind the casting officials' decision.
'Well, with actors, you follow their careers, so I knew Sam from drama school and I brought him in for quite a few roles before, so I'd followed his career so I knew him,' Suzanne Smith said in an interview. 'So there's not many very tall Scots that are right for Jamie Fraser, so Sam came to mind straight away.'
Naturally, Starz auditioned some more actors – such was the routine – but eventually returned to Heughan as the perfect man to bring Jamie to life. And after several more tests on several levels, finishing with Outlander's producers, the actor was cast as the beloved heartthrob.
'He just embodied the role and also being a wonderful human being, which is so important,' she added.
Source: The Daily Express US.