Oulander’s Sam Heughan has a new book out with ‘Men in Kilts’ co-star

The kilt is at the dry cleaners.

It’s midafternoon in Scotland, and that’s what passes for a little humor on the set of “Outlander.”

Sam Heughan, who plays hot Scot Jamie Fraser, is in his trailer in black jeans and a matching black jacket. The messy pre-American Revolution hair is neat and slicked back.

Did he time-travel to 2021? “My kilt is just being cleaned,” he jokes. Heughan, 40, wore trousers while filming a scene the other day for Season 6 of “Outlander,” where (scoop alert) “the entire Fraser family is dealing with Claire’s attack and the coming war.”

Heughan also stars in Starz’s popular new series “Men in Kilts,” where he romps around his native land with his “Outlander” co-star Graham McTavish, including a recent episode where Heughan skinny-dips in the sea. The pair also wrote a New York Times bestseller called “Clanlands,” about whisky, warfare and Scottish adventures.

You can catch Heughan this weekend on demand and in theaters in “SAS: Red Notice,” about a small army of well-trained criminals who hijack a train to Paris beneath the English Channel. Heughan plays special agent Tom Buckingham, whose fiancee, Sophie (Hannah John-Kamen), is on board.

Review-Journal: You’re known as a man of action. Do you ever sit down on a Sunday off, put your feet up and just veg?

Sam Heughan: To be honest, no! I really don’t do that very much. I’ve been pretty busy recently with work, including “Men in Kilts,” so that has taken up a lot of my weekends. But if I am off, I do love to get outdoors. I’ll get up early. I love climbing trails and walking in the hills. I love the most challenging ones. I’ll also do a workout as well. Hike in the morning and then go for a long run in the afternoon. That is relaxing to me. At night, I’ll slow down, cook a bit and watch a good movie.

In “SAS: Red Notice,” you’re hurling yourself off trains, running, beating people and are beaten to a pulp. Was it fun?

It is a pretty full-on action movie. I liked that the core of it was a man who is fighting for his life and the love of his life. This film is heavy action but asks questions about what makes a good psychopath. That’s also very intriguing.

What does the film say about psychopaths?

I think we have preconceptions about psychopaths. We think of Hannibal Lecter. My character, Tom, in this movie knows something is not quite right about himself. In fact, maybe something is wrong, but he’s intrigued by it and has a lot of questions. There is another psychopath played by Ruby Rose. Ultimately, he has to decide if he should join her or stop her.

At first, your character isn’t sure if he loves his girlfriend and wants to marry her.

Yes, he has spent his whole life doing what he thinks he’s supposed to do. He has a hard time with emotions, but he’s about to propose marriage. During this crisis, he does realize that he has deep feelings for his girlfriend. What makes them a great match is she gets it and understands his condition.

Did you get hurt while filming?

I’m a big guy at 6-foot-3, so getting under that train was pretty tough work. I loved it at the same time, and fortunately, I didn’t get hurt despite the train and some vicious fight scenes.

Tell us about the new season of “Outlander.”

We started in January and we’re working it out. Shooting is slower with COVID, but we’re on set, which is great. We’re getting closer to the American Revolution, and Jamie knows he’s on the wrong side of history. He shouldn’t be with the British and must deal with that fact. And we’ll also pick up from the end of last season. The whole family is pretty fractured from Claire’s attack. Claire and Jamie also have their reported death hanging over their heads. It was reported that they meet their demise in a fire in the cabin.

Do you experience “Outlander” withdrawal between seasons?

Well, it never seems to end for me. When we finish shooting, I still have post-production and interviews. It’s all-consuming, especially now that I’m a producer. I never get away from Jamie Fraser.

Now that you are famous, what’s the weirdest place you’ve been recognized?

Am I that famous? It is nice when people recognize you. I had a friend who was working in the remote mountains of Brazil, and he said some locals there started talking to him. They realized he was Scottish and asked him, “Do you know the “Outlander”?

You just wrapped a new movie called “Text for You,” starring longtime Las Vegas headliner Celine Dion. What was it like to work with her?

It’s a romance and stars Priyanka Chopra and Celine Dion. Celine is such a huge icon, and it was very exciting to work with her. This was the first time she has acted, and she did a wonderful job. She’s also providing music for the movie.

Tell us about that now-famous skinny-dipping scene in “Men in Kilts.” Were you nervous?

It was great fun and not as cold as it looked. That’s all I can say!