‘EXHAUSTING EXPERIENCE’

‘Outlander’ Star Sam Heughan Says He Felt ‘Betrayed’ by Early Nude Scene

The 42-year-old star recalled arguing with producers early in the show over showing his nude penis after a sexual assault scene, worried it’d be unnecessarily sexual.

“Outlander” star Sam Heughan says he had a disagreement with the show’s producers over an “unnecessary” nude scene following a sexual assault scene early in the show’s run. He said he felt “betrayed” over the push for full frontal nudity and told producers he was worried showing his penis would overly sexualize a brutal scene in which his character had just suffered a sexual assault. “I pushed back, reasoning that nudity sexualised a horrific experience for my character, and it sparked quite a debate,” he said. That nude shot ultimately hit the cutting room floor, but Heughan still called it a “harrowing, exhausting experience.” The 42-year-old actor has been a series regular on the Starz series since its debut in 2014. He said he doesn’t believe the debate would happen today, either. “We don't need to see the horror to imagine what the characters go through. Imagination is way more powerful,” he said.