Scottish star has recently released his brand new memoir, Waypoints, which chronicles his rising stardom as well as revealing some rare insight into his fascinating family history. After sharing his first meeting with his father since childhood, the star has now given further details about their fascinating reunion.
Outlander star Sam Heughan has detailed some of his more surprising revelations about meeting his father for the first time shortly before his death.
You are reading: Outlander’s Sam Heughan admits he was ‘unsettled’ by first meeting with late father
Sam admitted he was rather unsettled during his first conversation with his father since childhood.
In his new book, the Outlander actor revealed his father had left the family when he was a young boy, and hadn’t reconciled since.
Thanks to their mother’s research into the Heughan family tree, Sam and his brother were finally able to track down their estranged parent.
The actor previously said he visited his father essentially on his deathbed, but has now confirmed they were able to take a walk together.
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Outlander’s Sam Heughan admits he was ‘unsettled’ by first meeting with late father (Image: Starz)
Outlander: Sam’s new book Waypoints details his family history (Image: Starz)
During their meeting, Sam couldn’t help noticing some uncanny similarities between himself and his father which had remained despite their years of separation.
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“He was just not there,” he shared. “He was absent in my life, I knew nothing about him really.
“So for me to go and see him in Canada was a really interesting experience.”
Sam first divulged how his family reunion could provide some valuable experience for his craft as an actor.
Outlander: The cast are currently filming season seven (Image: Starz)
Outlander: Sam’s father died while he was shooting season one (Image: Starz)
“Partly for an actor,” he told Audible. “Part of my acting brain was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to use this and discover more about myself.’
“But the other part of me, I guess the child in me, was pretty anxious.”
Although Sam has little to no memory of his father from childhood, he still felt his influence in his own personality and behaviour as they spent their first time in years together.
He explained: “It was odd. A man who has had no influence on my life, I remember, I was walking next to him, I realised we had the same movement pattern.
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“The same gait, the same step. And I thought that was really intriguing and also quite unsettling.”
The Outlander star’s memoir has clearly been one of Sam’s most personal projects he’s worked on throughout his career.
As well as detailing his almost 100-mile hike across the West Highland Way, he also opened up about reconnecting with his father shortly before his death in 2014 while he was shooting Outlander’s first season.
“The book is, quite possibly, a way for me to put it to rest,” he continued.
“I think there’s been a part of me that’s not wanted to be him, or emulate him.
“But also to accept him and accept that he has been a part of my life despite not being there. So yeah, it is some sort of therapy, the book.”
After wrapping up his book tour, Sam headed back to Scotland to reunite with Caitriona Balfe and finish work on the eagerly anticipated seventh season of Outlander.
Outlander seasons 1-6 are available on Starz in the USA and Lionsgate+ via Amazon Prime Video in the UK.