With ‘Men in Kilts,’ Sam Heughan is Embodying His ‘Outlander’ Hunk Status Off-Screen, Too

There’s no doubt that Sam Heughan is one hot Scot. The Men in Kilts star has built a name for himself playing handsome highlander Jamie Fraser on the hit Starz show Outlander. In that series, the actor dons kilts, brandishes swords, and swills whiskey before carrying his beloved Claire (Caitriona Balfe) to bed. He speaks in a brogue, attends ceilidhs, and looks great in (and out of) tartan.

But Heughan doesn’t just play the platonic ideal of a Scot on TV; he exemplifies it in real life. With the launch of Men in Kilts, the publication of book that inspired it — Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other —   and Heughan’s The Sassenach whiskey line, Sam Heughan is branding himself as the most Scottish man alive. Rather than run away from his image as a Scottish dreamboat, Heughan is embracing it. More than that, he’s seemingly branding himself as the most Scottish man in the world. And honestly? It’s a smart move.

Sam Heughan was born in Balmaclellan, Scotland and spent part of his childhood in New Galloway and Edinburgh, before landing at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. He quickly found himself cast in a flurry of theatre roles which eventually opened the door for TV gigs and starring roles in Hallmark movies. But his big break came in 2013 when the then 33-year-old was cast as 18th century Scottish heartthrob James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser in Starz’s adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander.

The first few seasons of Outlander followed the adventures of 1940s nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall as she struggled to understand how a circle of mystical stones in the highlands could transport her back in time. Stuck in the 1740s, Claire finds herself in oodles of danger. Her one stalwart protector? The young Jamie Fraser, a clever young warrior with a uniquely powerful position in his Clan. He’s the son of a deceased lord and the beloved dead sister of the current Laird. Charming, popular, and extremely lucky, Jamie is always walking the tightrope of fealty to his powerful uncles while maintaining a sense of autonomy. It’s because of this that it’s suggested that the young Jamie should marry Claire to keep her out of the clutches of the villainous redcoat “Black” Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies).

Heughan was an instant hit with the Outlander fanbase. He brought a sensitivity and humor to Jamie, as well as a sweltering sense of romance. Jamie Fraser was the rare mix of chivalric and wild, polite and cultured, but also willing to perform brutal acts to protect the ones he loved. He was, in a nutshell, a fantasy come to life. That Heughan has not only been able to nail the dreamy spirit of Jamie on TV but kept his allure going for more than five seasons is an underrated feat.

Also underrated? The fact that Sam Heughan seems to like being “Mr. Scottish Hunk.”

It can be incredibly taxing for an actor to find themselves solely defined by one famous role. There’s the frustration at missing out on other roles, the demands of a fervent fanbase, and the concern that one’s own personality has usurped by a fictional character. Heughan seems totally fine being Jamie Fraser. It’s not that he’s not pursuing other projects, but he’s happy to continue to being associated with the juggernaut hit that is Outlander. His new show, Men in Kilts, leans into Outlander references whenever and wherever it can. Even as we watch Sam leap into a carpet of malt or jam out with a band, he’s also humming the Outlander theme and setting up cute cut-aways to key Outlander scenes.

Sam Heughan seems to really, truly, honestly like working on Outlander. So much so he named his freaking whiskey company after Jamie’s nickname for Claire! He is branding himself as Mr. Outlander, and by extension, Mr. Scotland. Men in Kilts is not just a glorified ad for Outlander, but also a whole series devoted to why everyone should visit Scotland. And Heughan is leading this charge. He’s leaning into the fantasy of being Mr. Hot Scot in his real life as well as onscreen.

Sam Heughan’s decision to embrace his image as a hot Scot is good business and a hell of a lot of fun. Instead of cringing at the role that made him huge, he’s made it part of who he is. There’s a joy in Men in Kilts, and some savvy business thinking. By branding himself as “Mr. Scotland,” Sam Heughan has made sure that he won’t be overshadowed by James Fraser, but that he’ll still be in women’s highland fantasies long after Outlander eventually comes to an end.

Where to stream Men in Kilts

Where to stream Outlander