Scottish star Sam Heughan has recently released his brand new memoir, Waypoints, which chronicles his rising stardom as well as revealing some rare insight into his fascinating family history. After sharing his first meeting with his father since childhood, the Outlander star has now given further details about their fascinating reunion.
Outlander star Sam Heughan has detailed some of his more surprising revelations about meeting his father for the first time shortly before his death.
Sam admitted he was rather unsettled during his first conversation with his father since childhood.
In his new book, the Outlander actor revealed his father had left the family when he was a young boy, and hadn’t reconciled since.
Thanks to their mother’s research into the Heughan family tree, Sam and his brother were finally able to track down their estranged parent.
The actor previously said he visited his father essentially on his deathbed, but has now confirmed they were able to take a walk together.
READ MORE: Mike Tindall's 'budgie smugglers' spark frenzy with I'm A Celeb fans
During their meeting, Sam couldn’t help noticing some uncanny similarities between himself and his father which had remained despite their years of separation.
“He was just not there,” he shared. “He was absent in my life, I knew nothing about him really.
“So for me to go and see him in Canada was a really interesting experience.”
Sam first divulged how his family reunion could provide some valuable experience for his craft as an actor.
“The same gait, the same step. And I thought that was really intriguing and also quite unsettling.”
The Outlander star’s memoir has clearly been one of Sam’s most personal projects he’s worked on throughout his career.
As well as detailing his almost 100-mile hike across the West Highland Way, he also opened up about reconnecting with his father shortly before his death in 2014 while he was shooting Outlander’s first season.
“The book is, quite possibly, a way for me to put it to rest,” he continued.
“I think there’s been a part of me that’s not wanted to be him, or emulate him.
“But also to accept him and accept that he has been a part of my life despite not being there. So yeah, it is some sort of therapy, the book.”
After wrapping up his book tour, Sam headed back to Scotland to reunite with Caitriona Balfe and finish work on the eagerly anticipated seventh season of Outlander.
Outlander seasons 1-6 are available on Starz in the USA and Lionsgate+ via Amazon Prime Video in the UK.
