‘Outlander’s Sam Heughan Says He Was “Betrayed” When Show Included a “Cock Shot” in Season 1

Sam Heughan says he felt disrespected when filming a Season 1 scene of his hit Starz series Outlander. The actor, who appeared nude in the scene, shares in his memoir, Waypoints: My Scottish Journey, that he didn’t think the full-frontal shot included in the show was necessary, per Insider.

Heughan, who stars as Scottish soldier Jamie Frasier in the time-traveling drama, is sexually assaulted by Black Jack Randall (Tobias Menzies) in the first season of Outlander. Although Outlander has “never turned away from sexual violence,” Heughan writes, he didn’t think full nudity was appropriate for the scene.

“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,” he explains in his memoir.

Because of his discomfort, Heughan “pushed back, reasoning that nudity sexualized a horrific experience for my character, and it sparked quite a debate.”

He adds, “Creative conversations are a feature of all productions, good art is made by questioning the truth and we all want to get it right.”

In the end, Heughan was still featured naked in the scene, but not while his character was being assaulted. Instead, the episode included a nude shot of Jamie after, while explicit imagery was edited in post-production and left “on the cutting room floor.”

These days, Outlander has an intimacy coordinator, and Heughan notes the Season 1 rape scene “would have been handled differently” if it were filmed now, not back in 2014.

“Times have changed. The cock shot was unnecessary and did betray my trust in the creative team a bit,” he writes. “We don’t need to see the horror to imagine what the characters go through. Imagination is way more powerful.”

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.