Sam Heughan, known for his role as Jamie Fraser in the historical drama "Outlander," has stated that actors on the series were "perhaps forced" into performing nude scenes during the show's earlier seasons. Heughan suggested that the absence of intimacy coordinators at the time meant performers were largely left to their own devices.
The series, which concluded after eight seasons, did not initially employ intimacy coordinators, according to Heughan. "We were very much left to our own devices," he said. "In fact, dare I say, even perhaps forced to do nudity when we were not particularly happy about it."
Heughan reflected on his early career, recalling instances where actors were frequently asked to disrobe during auditions. "I remember starting out as an actor and sort of going for auditions, and they'd be like, 'Right, OK, take your top off now,' and it was awful, or you're kissing someone you've just met in an audition," he stated. He added that "it's not like that anymore. It was just a different time."
Heughan made these remarks during a live discussion, where he also touched upon instances where "some lines have been crossed" by actors during intimate scenes in previous years.