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Sam Heughan is confirming the origin of his name!

In a new interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Kelly asked the 40-year-old Outlander actor if it was really true that his parents named he and his brother, Cirdan, after characters from J.R.R. Tolkien‘s The Lord of the Rings novels.

“Wow, you’re really digging me into a hole here,” Sam replied. “Yes, yes it’s true. My brother is called Cirdan. Those Lord of the Rings fans that are out there they might recognize it. I believe he was the elf that took all the elves from Middle Earth to wherever the elves go at the end of the book. He was the shipwright.”

Sam continued, “My nickname is Sam, for Samwise.” If you didn’t know, there is a character named Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings series.

“I wasn’t Christened that, but yes, my parents were probably hippies,” Sam added.

This isn’t the first time Sam has talked about his parents’ obsession with Lord of the Rings.

During an interview with Just Jared back in 2014, Sam admitted that his parents were huge fans of the novels and that they were actually in a band together called Gandolf’s Garden.

Earlier this month, there was a big update on the upcoming sixth season of Outlander!

Ruby Rose elbows Sam Heughan in the face in a hillside fight in the first trailer from their new movie, SAS: Red Notice.

Based on the best-selling novel by former SAS operator Andy McNab, the movie centers on Tom Buckingham (Heughan), a special forces operator, is taking Dr. Sophie Hart from London to Paris to propose.

When their train is deep inside the Channel Tunnel, Grace Lewis (Rose) and her team of heavily armed war criminals seize the train and hold hundreds of passengers hostage. Grace threatens to expose the British governments darkest secrets and blow up the Channel Tunnel if her ransom demands are not met.

Unarmed and cut off from his counter terror team, Tom is the only hope that Sophie and the other passengers have to make it out alive.

Hannah John-Kamen, Andy Serkis, Tom Hopper and Tom Wilkinson also star in the movie.

SAS: Red Notice will be On Demand on March 16.

Just recently, it was revealed that Sam‘s series, Outlander, has started to film for season six. Here’s how they’re doing in amid the pandemic…

Huge news for Outlander fans who are facing major “Drougtlander” right now due to lack of new episodes since season five wrapped….season six is in production!!

Matthew B. Roberts, the show’s executive producer, told Elle about their original plans to keep filming immediately after wrapping season five.

“We wanted to keep our momentum from season 5,” he said. “The cast and the crew, and I think even the fans, were very excited to get right into season 6. And then we decided to hit the brakes.”

Now, season six is officially back and filming. “I didn’t want me or the staff changing what the story is for COVID,” he explains. “We have a lot of intimate scenes—that’s where we live and breathe.” The solution to this? “Testing, testing, testing, testing. We had to figure out how to make sure we tested everybody a million times before they walked onto set and keep that bubble as safe as possible. That was our main focus—making sure everybody feels safe walking onto a set in the studios and locations.”

This season, Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan are working as producers, as well as the stars!

“They really, really took on the challenge of wanting to learn what it is to be a producer and what goes into it. It’s something, to them, they’re taking on to broaden who they are in the industry, so when the day comes that there is no Outlander, they can go out and produce their own things. It’s a testimony to wanting to learn and to make yourself not only a better actor but producer, too. The sky’s the limit for both of them. They’re crazy talented,” he said.

If you missed it, Sam earned a very high honor from Just Jared readers just a few months ago…and Caitriona congratulated him!

Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish lead a band around a fortress in the new trailer for their upcoming travel series, Men in Kilts.

Here’s the summary of the new series: The journey of Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip with Sam and Graham takes viewers from the heart of Scotland at Glencoe, the site of a great massacre and major clan feud to Inverness and the Culloden battlefield, the site of a great battle and historic turning point, known well to fans of Outlander that molded Scotland as we know it today.

There are eight episodes in the series which will see Sam and Graham, who are from Outlander, showcase the rich, complex heritage of their native country, as they meet many artisans and experts along the way.

Men In Kilts is set to premiere on Valentine’s Day, February 14, on Starz.

If you missed it, you can see the first look pics from the show here!

Sam and Graham are also teaming up on another project, too…

Sam Heughan is taking us on a tour behind-the-scenes of the upcoming season of Outlander!

The 40-year-old actor posted a video of himself inside the costume department on the set of the hit series on Sunday (December 27) as they prepare to film Season 6.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Sam Heughan

“Guess where I am? It is indeed the costume department of Outlander, amongst hundreds and thousands of costumes,” he said.

“We have to dress so many people…so excited to be back, we’re prepping, we’re dressing people, we’re learning to deal with all the guidelines. We can’t wait to show you what we’ve got in store for Season 6. I might even have a new hat. We’ll see.”

“The @outlander_starz costume department is VAST!! Lots of coats, kilts, dresses, corsets and hats. We are prepping for 2021 and season 6! Now just need to find the way out… #hathair #outlander,” he captioned the post.

Sam is one of the actors in the running in the Just Jared Fan Awards Favorite Actor of 2020 poll. Vote now!

“Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other,” the book by Outlander‘s Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish is currently on sale and now is your chance to buy the hardcover version for the holidays!

On Amazon, the book is currently $21.59, and it is usually priced at $26.99 on the site. And if you’re worried, Amazon is guaranteeing it will arrive by Christmas.

Here’s a synopsis: From their faithful camper van to boats, kayaks, bicycles, and motorbikes, join stars of Outlander Sam and Graham on a road trip with a difference, as two Scotsmen explore a land of raw beauty, poetry, feuding, music, history, and warfare. Unlikely friends Sam and Graham begin their journey in the heart of Scotland at Glencoe and travel from there all the way to Inverness and Culloden battlefield, where along the way they experience adventure and a cast of highland characters. In this story of friendship, finding themselves, and whisky, they discover the complexity, rich history and culture of their native country.

Be sure to grab your copy on Amazon!

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If you missed the news, Sam Heughan is the winner of Just Jared’s Sexiest Celebrity of 2020 poll conducted over the past two weeks. The poll was fan voted, and Sam‘s fans garnered him almost one million votes as the winner of the contest.

His co-star, Caitriona Balfe, saw the news and had a sweet reaction!

It all started when Sam reacted to the news himself, writing, “Ahhh thank you!! Haha our fans [are] biased but they are THE BEST!! 2020 has been a strange year but hasn’t stopped our fans from killing it!”

Caitriona saw Sam‘s honor and posted her own message! Check out what she wrote to her Outlander co-star below…

Check out the full results of the Sexiest Celebrity of 2020 poll if you missed it.