Sam Heughan is gearing up to launch his first memoir Waypoints at the end of the month.
The Scots actor, who is best known for his role as Jamie Fraser in the Starz hit show Outlander, is set to release his deeply personal memoir Waypoints: My Scottish Journey. In the highly anticipated book, Heughan, 42, details his journey becoming a successful actor while walking the West Highland Way.
Ahead of its release on October 25, the Scots actor spoke to WBUR: “This is not Jamie Fraser, the king of men. This is an actor who thinks he's playing the role of a hillwalker, but I struggled. I almost gave up.
"I found myself lost on the side of Loch Lomond in the dark. And it wasn't until I really sort of slowed down and enjoyed the journey that I began to appreciate the trail itself.
“I got out and was ready to set off into the wilds. Some woman came up to me and she recognised me from the TV show, and it was actually a really nice exchange. It's interesting because I set off on this solitary journey. I wanted to take time to reflect and actually the moments where I met people made the journey way more rewarding.”
Discussing his struggle during the journey, the Men In Kilts star found himself seeking comfort in a familiar place as he recited Shakespeare. He has acted in various Shakespeare productions including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeath.
However, during his travels, Heughan went back to his theatre roots and recited Romeo and Juliet. “It's interesting because, I think, I hadn't ever really recalled it," he said.
"And somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind, it came out along with everything else that was probably secreted in there. I found myself descending into insanity: talking to myself, talking to the local fauna, the mushrooms.”
Heughan's journey led him to start My Peak Challenge, a non-profit organisation which inspires others to live a healthy, active life. More than $6 million raised by the project so far has benefitted a number of causes from hunger relief to cancer research.
The star also teased the upcoming season of Outlander. He added: “It's been an incredible journey. We're eight years into telling the story of Jamie and Claire, and I certainly want to finish the story. However long that goes for, I want to know what happens at the end.
“We're currently shooting season seven. It's a big season. We're doing 16 episodes, so we'll see where we get to. But I'm excited for the fans. There's a lot in there.”
Outlander series 1-6 are available to stream on LIONSGATE+ in the UK
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our weekly Showbiz newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
- Outlander star Sam Heughan gets lost during trip to Mexico after joining TikTok
- Outlander star Graham McTavish is now on cameo charging £168 for personalised videos
- The sweet reason behind Outlander reference in new supernatural horror flick The Invitation
- Outlander star Graham McTavish says 'we will see' about potential return for prequel
