Sam Heughan has opened up about being caught off guard by fame during the early days of Outlander.
Sam, 41, is best known for his role as Highland warrior Jamie Fraser, alongside his on-screen wife Caitriona Balfe, who plays Claire Fraser, in Diana Gabaldon's on-screen adaptation of her books.
The Dumfriesshire -born actor and his Irish co-star are known for their steamy on-screen romance, but away from filming, the pair of actors are much more private about their lives.
Sam told Insider that he and Caitriona were initially caught off guard by the passionate fan-base Outlander garnered soon after its release.
"I think both of us were unaware of having more celebrity status, or just interacting with fans, I think we were both very, very open," Heughan said, adding, "I think we've probably become a little bit more protective now."
"I think we've all had our own experiences and certainly some have been quite unique," Heughan said when asked about his experience with the show's viewers.
"But the majority of our fans are awesome and we love interacting with them."
"If there are one or two that are slightly on the fringes of society, then so be it," the actor added, after reiterating that the show's fans are "just terrific."
Both Sam and Caitriona have reasons to be a lot more protective of their personal lives now, as the show has blown up so have their profiles as celebrities.
The duo have previously criticised a very small percentage of Outlander's fan base who seem obsessed with the idea that their TV romance has made it off screen too.
Caitriona revealed that after she married her husband, Scottish music manager Anthony McGill, in 2019, she found out that someone had called the secretary of the church where the wedding took place to check it was real.
"When you have a kid, you become really protective,” Caitriona told Vanity Fair.
“I don’t want those crazies—because that’s what they are—I just don’t want them talking about him.”
She added: “It’s sad, because you meet the loveliest people who are fans of the show and they’re super supportive and they do the nicest things—and then you have that little thing, which just taints it.”
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