Outlander's Sam Heughan praised for 'support' by co-star ahead of prequel series

's has been showered with praise for his remarkable generosity by an up-and-coming actor.

Jamie Roy, poised to captivate audiences as the dashing protagonist of the Outlander prequel series Blood of My Blood, has expressed his gratitude towards Heughan.

In a recent chat, Roy, hailing from Scotland, disclosed the bond he formed with Heughan during their encounter on the set of .

Roy recounted how a casual coffee catch-up with Heughan evolved from professional talk to "random stuff" once they got into conversation.

He spoke fondly of Heughan's ongoing support, saying that Heughan is consistently one of the first to reach out with encouragement whenever new promotional material is released, reports the .

"Any time anything's released, artwork or posters or trailers, he's always one of the first people to text me: 'Dude, it looks so cool. Congrats. Can't wait to see it.' And that means a lot," Roy shared with Vanity Fair.

Roy is set to portray a youthful Brian Fraser, father to Heughan's character Jamie Fraser in Outlander.

Andrew Whipp, known for his roles in Shetland and Netflix's Bodies, previously depicted an older Brian Fraser in the main series, setting the stage for Roy's fresh interpretation.

The uncanny physical resemblance between Roy and Heughan played a part in Roy's casting, a detail not overlooked by the show's executives.

Both Maril Davis, the executive producer, and director Jamie Payne have remarked on the likeness between Roy and Heughan "as people".

Roy revealed that although viewers might think his role as Brian in Outlander: Blood of My Blood drew inspiration from Heughan's character, it's purely a "happy coincidence".

Interestingly enough, the coincidences don't stop there; Roy's real middle name happens to be Brian.

Additionally, within the series, Jamie Fraser uses the alias 'Jamie Roy' as one of his numerous pseudonyms to evade threats.

Outlander: Blood of My Blood is set to depict the stormy romance between Brian Fraser and Ellen MacKenzie (played by Harriet Slater) from a competing clan in 17th century Scottish Highlands.

The series will further explore the poignant love story of Claire Fraser's (Caitriona Balfe) parents, Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield), during the First World War.

Even though they unfold in dissimilar eras, Starz has hinted at a link between these pair of romances, with expectations of time travel elements influencing the narrative.

Producer Davis admitted finding an equilibrium in allocating screen time to both romances, each passionate in their unique way, was quite the tightrope walk.

She commented: "You're not killing your actors as much as we probably killed Caitriona and Sam in the first seasons.

"But on the other hand, it's more difficult because you want to make sure both stories are unique. I feel like we've succeeded in doing that."

Before the show, Starz is also hosting a special panel, where the casts of Outlander and Blood of My Blood will come together to discuss their respective shows.

The event, dubbed The Gathering, will take place on June 1 and provide fans with a glimpse into the new series ahead of Blood of My Blood's premiere.

Outlander season 7 is available to buy now on Digital and is streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video now

Outlander: Blood of My Blood premieres on Starz on August 8 and on Prime Video via MGM+ on August 9