Beyond Outlander: What other shows could utilize Sam Heughan’s talents?

In one form or another, you’ve probably seen the stories about how a prominent actor wants to be a part of a prominent TV show. It’s a fun story for any TV journalist to write; also, it’s probably a fun thing for any actor to think about. Variety, dear friends, is the spice of life! You want to continue to shake things up and try on a wide array of different hats.

Since we’ve specifically seen a number of Sam Heughan – Doctor Who stories out there, it felt like the actor was the perfect place to start the series off on the site. While obviously we want him to remain on Outlander through the end of the series (and we also understand that this role does not come with an abundance of free time), let’s have a little fun and play casting director nonetheless! Here are a few other roles to picture him in — rest assured, we also want your thoughts and casting suggestions in the comments.

Doctor Who – Let’s go ahead and get this one out there first, since obviously if Sam had a Tardis and could travel through space and time easily, it’d be great to see him be The Doctor and Jamie Fraser at the same time. Yet, that’s not possible. Maybe there’ll be an opening once Outlander is over? Also, remember that him taking on a guest-role here, whether it be as an ally to The Doctor or an adversary on another planet, doesn’t negate him from playing the part down the road. It’s certainly happened before.

Sherlock – Since we’re on the subject of shows with Steven Moffat connections, how about making Sam an intellectual villain to square off with Sherlock and Watson? Most actors relish the chance to be the villain, and it’d obviously be fun to see that change-of-pace for him here. Think of him as cold, calculating, and a far departure from the affable Jamie or the amicable Sam in real life. Have him be one of the few adversaries Holmes cannot accurately predict.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Let’s do something completely different (and completely silly) now. Make Heughan go completely against type here as a goofy SoCal transplant in Manhattan who Kimmy becomes quickly infatuated with after seeing him outside of a gym. Have her admire him from afar, only to eventually realize that he is a total weirdo. It would only add to the ridiculousness if, after Kimmy makes said realization, Sam’s character became infatuated with her and she can’t find a way to let him off easy.

Lethal Weapon – Sam’s already a bit of an action hero on Outlander, but here you could have him come on as a well-decorated FBI agent who gets wrapped up in one of Riggs and Murtaugh’s latest cases. Everything goes to hell in a handbasket when the two improvise, and the three have to worm their way out of a difficult situation that could ruin Sam’s reputation. The show’s great for combining some high-octane action with a lot of humor, and this could appeal to both of his sensibilities.

Silicon Valley – It’s one of the funniest shows on TV, and we could see Sam being immensely entertaining as a tech prodigy who seems to have it all, and it drives Richard Hendricks completely insane. He’s a guy Richard wants to hate, but nobody else can stomach the idea because he’s far too nice. The Pied Piper team gets in business with him despite Richard’s protests, and it turns out that he was right when Sam’s character turns out to be a massive prick who hides his cutthroat business acumen underneath a smile and fancy dinner invites.

What are your dream roles for Sam? Share below, and we’ll be back with another article featuring a different TV actor tomorrow!

For all of you Outlander fans, head over here to see the latest stories via our archive. (Photo: Starz.)