Sam Heughan on playing Macbeth: "It's the drug I'm looking for"

Washington [US], June 3 : 'Outlander' star Sam Heughan is set to take on the role of Macbeth in the Royal Shakespeare Company's upcoming production, marking his debut with the company.

Heughan expressed his excitement about returning to the stage after 12 years, and said, "It's the drug I'm looking for," as quoted by Deadline.

Heughan, who trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, has always been drawn to the play.

He recalled being in awe of Derek Jacobi's portrayal of Macbeth in Adrian Noble's RSC production and even played minor roles in a 2008 production.

"I remember just going full circle like, going back to the very first show I ever did in youth theatre. I was an extra on the main stage of the Royal Lyceum theatre in Edinburgh in a production of Macbeth," he said.

Heughan's experience playing Jamie Fraser in 'Outlander' for 11 years has dominated his life, but he is excited to explore new challenges.

"It becomes your life a hundred percent. And in some ways that's fantastic, and I've been very lucky... So this is really cool. It's a chance for me to sort of, I don't know, find out who I am again or where I was and see what the next step is," he explained, as quoted by Deadline.

The production, directed by Daniel Raggett, will feature Lia Williams as Lady Macbeth. Heughan and Williams have discussed the setting, considering various options, including the conflict in Ukraine or a contemporary American setting.

"We've been talking about lots of different ways of portraying it... It could be kind of set anywhere," Heughan said.

Heughan also hinted at potential future projects related to 'Outlander', including a possible Comic-Con celebration for the prequel series 'Outlander: Blood of My Blood', which premieres on August 8.

Season 8 of 'Outlander' is expected to air next year.

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