To whet your appetite, here’s an exclusive sneak peek at the start of the letter:
Dear Jamie,
I must admit that writing this feels surreal, foolish even, and yet you’ve been my companion this last decade. Silently standing by my shoulder (as Ian would), you’ve guided me on this epic journey. Is it strange that I see you not just as a character in Diana’s incredible books but also as someone loved by many who has shaped my life. We’ve loved, lost and learnt at the same time. Your love of Claire and devotion to family was everything, a privilege (and a pain at times!) to share. What a gift!
So on that note, from myself personally and from all of us, I begin with a simple: “Thank You, Jamie.”
When I catch up with Heughan for an exclusive chat about all of the above, he’s home in Scotland — briefly — between shooting Apple TV’s upcoming political thriller “Embassy” in Germany, and heading to the United States for the New York premiere of “Outlander.”
Given that filming of the time-travel drama wrapped in late 2024 — and the cast has done several press cycles since — I joke to Heughan that he’s likely tired of talking about all of it. He says that shooting Season 8 was sometimes hard, “because literally every day, you’re just like, ‘Oh my God, this is the last time we’ll do X, Y, and Z!’,” the feeling is a bit different now that the premiere is a week away (streaming Friday, March 7, at midnight, and airing at 8/7c on Starz).
“It’s finally here,” he says, adding that he feels ready now. “And I guess why [The Sassenach] release is so exciting for us, because it was actually something really personal that was not part of anything, other than I wanted to do it for myself.”
In the video above, Heughan gives us the lowdown on his spirited tribute to Jamie. In the conversation below, we talk about how “Outlander” paved the way for The Sassenach and how his letter to Jamie echoes one of the series’ central motifs. And then, figuring I might as well give this whole Scotch thing one last try, I ask him to walk me through a tasting.
“You’re going to do it now?” he asks, incredulous. It’s 1:30 pm ET on a Friday afternoon, and I look him right in his verra blue eyes (via the Zoom window) as I open the bottle. “Wow,” he says, chuckling. “Cheers.”
Can Heughan make a Scotch lover of me? Read on.