Outlander's Sam Heughan reveals 'worst experience' on set - but it wasn't as brutal as season one finale

Outlander star Sam Heughan has opened up about his most "challenging" moment on the show, which surprisingly wasn't filming the intense season one finale.

The hit Starz series, which has been captivating audiences for nearly a decade, follows the epic yet tumultuous romance between Highlander Jamie Fraser (Sam) and World War II nurse Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe).

With countless days of filming behind them, it's inevitable that not every day on set is smooth sailing for the actors and crew, reports the Express.

During a game with Vanity Fair designed to test how well they know each other, Heughan posed a question to Balfe: "What was my worst experience on the set of Outlander?"

Balfe guessed: "Was it being stuck on the boat with no toilet or food for a full day? " to which Heughan confirmed, "Oh that's pretty right. That was pretty bad actually, yeah. That was pretty horrific."

She then speculated: "Was it the seven days shooting those terrible scenes in the brothel?" prompting Heughan to acknowledge: "You've got quite a few, haven't you? There were quite a few", followed by laughter.

However, Heughan clarified that "I'd say the most challenging was the end, the ep [episode] in season one," referring to the harrowing finale where his character Jamie is brutally tortured by the villainous Captain Black Jack Randall, portrayed by Tobias Menzies.

Heughan delved into the darker aspects of "Outlander" with Black Jack's brutal assault on Jamie, leaving both the character and audience in a state of shock.

Yet, it wasn't the filming of these harrowing scenes that Heughan recalls as the "worst" part of working on "Outlander".

He said: "But the worst, I think it's just general, I'd say midges." Balfe chimed in with agreement: "Oh the midges".

"The midges are just awful, aren't they? " she added. Balfe then described the pests for those unfamiliar: "Have to explain to anyone who doesn't know, these are the tiny little, almost invisible biting gnats. They get into your hair, under your costumes."

Heughan further lamented: "Under your wig", highlighting the nuisance of the insects that swarm the Scottish Highlands where much of the series is shot. Despite the midge menace, the cast and crew are back at it, with production for "Outlander" season eight underway in Scotland.

While an official premiere date for the final season has yet to be announced, fans can anticipate the show's return for its concluding chapters around mid-to-late 2025.

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