The run-up to the next successor to the iconic James Bond role in "007" upped its ante with the entry of "Outlander" star Sam Heughan.

According to Daily Record, "Outlander" star Sam Heughan is the latest actor added to the roster of British - and non-British - thespians being lined up for the British secret agent role of James Bond in "007." The 35 year old Heughan had captivated so many hearts - with his role as Jamie Fraser, the Scottish highlander in the period adventure TV series "Outlander".

The actor was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award in 2002 for his role in David Greig's Outlying Islands. His stiffest contenders for the James Bond role are Aidan Turner, Tom Hiddlestone, Idris Elba and Tom Hardy, reported Screen Rant.

Played in the US, the "Outlander" series gained such a following and had Heughan thrust up into the spotlight with his good looks and commanding presence. Even Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise, played by American actor William Shatner, gave a thumbs up to Heughan playing the next James Bond, Scotland Now has cited.

Heughan was born in New Galloway, Dumfries, and while he spent his years growing up in Edinburgh, he joined the Royal Lyceum Theatre and enrolled at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama to improve his thespian skills.

Despite the handsome, debonair looks he sports which made a lot of fans swoon over him, Heughan had always thought of himself as a "fat child" who had a penchant for King Arthur and Robert the Bruce stories since he was a kid.

"Outlander" series is based on a much-loved series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. The plot involves a World War Two nurse, played by Irish actor Caitriona Balfe, who gets transported into Scotland in the past while sightseeing in Scotland, and meets the charismatic Scottish highlander, played by Heughan.