A global star and a Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) graduate is paving the way for aspiring artists to follow in his footsteps. Sam Heughan born and raised in the village of Balmaclellan, near Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway, internationally acclaimed Hollywood actor, author, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, is personally funding a new ten-year scholarship programme in his name.
Sam has returned to his RCS roots to support the next generation as they pursue their dreams at Scotland’s national conservatoire, one of the world’s top three destinations to study the performing and production arts (QS World University Rankings 2021).
Sam, who graduated from the BA Acting degree course in 2003, has invested in three annual scholarships for undergraduate students in the School of Drama, Dance, Production and Film.
The scholarships will be awarded for the new academic year in September to two Scottish students who are taking up places on the BA Acting programme and a non-Scottish student on any course within the School of Drama, Dance, Production and Film. The scholarships will support students for whom it might not have been possible to study in Glasgow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
In addition to the scholarship programme, the Sam Heughan Scriptwriting Award will be introduced later this year to encourage emerging artists to collaborate and expand their creative skills across the conservatoire’s disciplines of music, drama, dance, production, film and education. More details will be announced soon.
Sam, who was born in Balmaclellan in Dumfries and Galloway, found worldwide fame playing the lead character of Jamie Fraser in smash-hit, time-travelling drama series Outlander, which is filmed in Scotland and based on the books of author Diana Gabaldon. Season six wrapped in June and is due to air in early 2022.
Commenting on the launch of the scholarship programme, Sam Heughan said: “I learned so much at the Conservatoire – the support that they gave me and even now, the community that they’ve built. It felt really important to be able to give back, to help inspire some of the students and support them because I know that there’s so much creativity and talent coming out of this very special building.”
Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: “Sam Heughan is an inspiration – not only is he known and loved by millions around the world thanks to his role in Outlander but he is also passionately committed to his charitable work in which he has made such an extraordinary difference to the lives of others.
“Sam firmly believes in giving back, in sharing the opportunities that he experienced studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. We’re aligned in our mission to make the arts accessible for all, to ensure that everyone can realise their full potential and flourish in their chosen path, irrespective of financial circumstances or other barriers they may face.
“We thank Sam deeply for this generous gift of scholarship and we look forward to working with Sam to create fantastic opportunities for students, who will follow in the footsteps of a wonderful ambassador not just for RCS but for Scotland.”
Sam in the New Athenaeum Theatre with Deputy Principal Dr Lois Fitch and Principal Jeffrey Sharkey
It was announced earlier this month that Sam will star in the adventure epic Everest with Ewan McGregor and Mark Strong, inspired by Jeffrey Archer’s novel Paths of Glory. Set in 1921, the film centres on the real-life George Mallory (McGregor), who is picked by Arthur Hinks (Strong) of the Royal Geographic Society to scale the previously unconquerable Mount Everest. Sam will play George Finch, Mallory’s nemesis who, despite being an outsider amongst his fellow climbers, shares their obsession with conquering Everest.
Sam also stars in the forthcoming romantic comedy Text For You alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas and recent movie roles include SAS: Red Notice, To Olivia, in which he played legendary actor Paul Newman and Bloodshot.
It isn’t just Outlander that has TV fans hooked, Sam joined forces with series co-star Graham McTavish to create, executive-produce and star in the eight-part travel show Men in Kilts, where they entertained viewers with their exploits on a road trip around Scotland. The duo travelled around the country in a camper van for a real-life adventure based on their number one New York Times bestselling book, Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other.
Since starring in Outlander, Sam has received numerous nominations including BAFTA Scotland Best Actor and Critics’ Choice Best Actor. He has also won many fan-generated accolades, including People’s Choice Award, Saturn Award, Entertainment Weekly’s EW Best Actor, Drama and Radio Times TV Champion, and more.
Away from the entertainment world, Sam’s love of a dram and his homeland inspired the launch of his award-winning whisky brand, The Sassenach.
A driving force in Sam’s life is his commitment to charity and he is the founder of the global movement My Peak Challenge, which he launched in 2015. It’s dedicated to educating and inspiring its thousands of members around the globe to live healthier, happier and more balanced lives while fundraising to change lives. It has raised more than $5 million dollars for its charity partners to date.
