Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty
Sam Heughanis opening up about a behind-the-scenes dispute over onscreen nudity.
“This wasn’t a moment where I felt that being naked would add to the horror of what Jamie undergoes in that castle dungeon as a form of punishment, subjugation and humiliation,” Heughan writes.
He notes that although he was contractually required to do nudity and the Starz drama has “never turned away from sexual violence,” those elements didn’t complement each other in this particular scene.
“Times have changed. The c–k shot was unnecessary and did betray my trust in the creative team a bit,” he explains. “We don’t need to see the horror to imagine what the characters go through. Imagination is way more powerful.”
Aimee Spinks/Starz
Heughan and the creative team ultimately agreed to show his character nude only in the aftermath of the assault, leaving the explicit shots “on the cutting room floor.”
Reps forOutlanderand Heughan did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The actor, who starred in the series since it premiered in 2014, says that the situation “would have been handled differently” today.
Heughan previously admitted he felt"just thrown in the deep end"on the show as he appeared on theHappy Sad Confusedpodcast in March, noting that after he and costar Balfe became producers on the show in 2019, he brought an intimacy coordinator onto the production.
“It’s important that everyone is protected, but also we find a way to explore these scenes and actually maybe get something more out of them,” Heughan said.
RELATED VIDEO:Outlander’s Sam Heughan Promises ‘Strong’ Season 6 Full of ‘Friends, Foes and Family’
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Sam Heughan’sWaypoints: My Scottish Journeyis now available everywhere books are sold.
source: people.com
