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Actors explore their Scottish heritage in ‘Men in Kilts’
Graham McTavish is used to stepping out of his comfort zone with roles in theater and film. Yet being part of “Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip With Sam and Graham” gave him an experience of a lifetime — all while testing his limits. The eight-episode Starz series follows McTavish and Sam Heughan on their travels through Scotland. The “Outlander” co-stars reunite for an epic adventure, exploring their heritage and meeting an incredible collection of people who truly showcase what it means to be Scottish.
Graham McTavish is used to stepping out of his comfort zone with roles in theater and film. Yet being part of “Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip With Sam and Graham” gave him an experience of a lifetime — all while testing his limits.
The eight-episode Starz series follows McTavish and Sam Heughan on their travels through Scotland. The “Outlander” co-stars reunite for an epic adventure, exploring their heritage and meeting an incredible collection of people who truly showcase what it means to be Scottish.
The series offers the duo’s one-of-akind perspective on everything from clans and The Battle of Culloden to whisky tasting and folk dancing, with Heughan and McTavish’s witty banter and high jinks leading the way. It premieres at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, and a new episode will be released each Sunday.
McTavish overcame many fears during the filming of the series.
“I had to rappel off a cliff,” McTavish says. “Then there’s nearly being decapitated in a sidecar while Sam was driving. There were many times I was terrified by Sam. There’s a witchcraft and superstition episode where Sam scared me.”
The actors spent many weeks together filming.
The idea was pitched to Starz in 2019 after the duo filmed on weekends what a potential show would feel like. The network gave it the green light, and then the pandemic happened.
Filming was shut down in Scotland.
After a months of waiting, “Men in Kilts” got the go-ahead to film — with plenty of safety precautions in place.
“I think we were one of the first productions to get back to filming,” McTavish says. “We were the guinea pigs. We were together for weeks — morning, noon and night. The only time we weren’t together was when we were asleep.”
As filming began, one would think the pandemic would be the biggest obstacle.
McTavish says it was having logistics for the actual travel.
“We were traveling enormous distances,” he says. “People look at Scotland and see a small country. It can be challenging to drive. If you are lucky, there are two lanes to travel on.”
Hitting the road with Heughan also helped McTavish dive in to Scotland’s complex history.
It also gave him a new perspective on Heughan.
“Sam loves to travel on ferries and stand on the deck and stick his tongue out like a dog and feel the salty air,” he says. “I enjoy the facilities downstairs.”
The journey also reminded McTavish to live in the moment and face his fears.
“I think the timing for the series is perfect, because the audience gets a chance to experience Scotland in the same way we are,” he says. “The only thing we knew were the destinations and who we were going to meet. The rest of it is us being travelers and genuinely experiencing many of these things for the first time.”
The second episode finds the pair experiencing historic Scottish games.
“I had never thrown a hammer before and never surfed,” McTavish says. “I played a round of golf once in the early ’90s. I did play rugby at school, but that ended when I was 18. I was shocked to learn that Sam has never played rugby. I found it very strange that he’s never tried it, being such a big fan. I proved that point by beating him.”
McTavish is open to doing more traveling with Sam.
“It was very helpful to have Sam with me,” he says. “He’s a positive, energetic individual. We’d both love to get on the road again. We’ve barely just begun, and there’s plenty more Scottish history to tell. The whole wide world has been influenced by Scotland. I’m hoping we can find a connection somewhere in Tahiti.”