Sam Heughan, best known for his role as Jamie Fraser in the historical drama Outlander, has said actors on the show were at times “perhaps forced” into filming nude scenes in the programme’s early years. Speaking at an event in Pitlochry, the 46-year-old said protections that now exist in television production were absent when the series began in 2014.
Actors left to their own devices in early production
Heughan told fellow Scottish actor Alan Cumming that intimacy protocols were not in place during the early seasons and that decisions about nudity were often left to individual performers. He described those negotiations as uncomfortable.
“In fact, dare I say, even perhaps forced to do nudity when we were not particularly happy about it,”
Heughan said an intimacy co‑ordinator was introduced for later parts of the series and characterised that role as providing “great protection” for cast members. His remarks form part of a wider conversation within the screen industries about consent, safeguarding and best practice when filming intimate material.
Challenging work and changing industry standards
Heughan recalled one particularly difficult sequence in which his character is raped, calling it the most demanding scene of his career and noting the emotional strain involved. He suggested that when handled with care such storylines can have value, but emphasised the difference between then and now in terms of on‑set guidance.
- Heughan said early seasons of Outlander lacked intimacy coordinators.
- He described negotiations over nude scenes as uncomfortable and sometimes coercive.
- Intimacy co‑ordinators were later employed and seen as a protective measure.
| Period | Practice described |
|---|---|
| Early years (from 2014) | Fewer guidelines; no intimacy co‑ordinator; negotiations over nudity |
| Later series | Intimacy co‑ordinator in place; described as “great protection” |
Alan Cumming, who hosted the on‑stage conversation, acknowledged that standards have changed over time and that boundaries were crossed in earlier decades by some productions. Heughan reflected on his own early acting experiences, recalling auditions where performers were asked to remove clothing or to kiss strangers — practices he said are less common today.
The remarks add to an ongoing industry debate about how best to protect performers while allowing creative storytelling. Large production companies and broadcasters have in recent years developed guidelines and employed specialist coordinators to oversee intimate scenes; Heughan’s comments underline why those measures have become widespread.
Given the sensitivity of the subject matter, the accounts delivered on stage are significant for their candid appraisal of how working conditions have evolved in television drama.
