The nation’s favourite rising star, Sam Heughan, starred on the stage in a Glasgow theatre a decade ago, it has emerged.

In an online question-and-answer session with his Twitter followers this week, one fan asked whether the Outlander actor has ever had the desire to play Shakespeare.

Sam replied: “I have in the past and would love to be back on stage.”

It was then that the team at the Citizens Theatre in Gorbals Street replied with a ten-year-old image of the then big-time actor-in-the-making starring on their stage as Guildenstern in Hamlet.

Fans couldn’t believe their eyes and had to double check the extraordinary image as it quickly began to rack up hundreds of reactions.

The post even got the seal of approval from the Scottish actor as he hit the venue up with a retweet.

Sam made headlines earlier this week when he put a fan in her place after she insisted that “actors should stay away from politics.”

READ MORE: Sam Heughan hits back at fan who says actors should ‘stay away from politics’

The Twitter user sent the actor a message on the site, saying: “Actors should stay away from politics They run the risk of distancing their fans as seen here in the US. Just keep out of it.”

The 37-year-old TV and soon-to-be movie star, originally from Balmaclellan in Dumfries and Galloway, hit back: “Sorry I disagree. EVERYONE is entitled to an opinion. That’s what makes it a democracy.”

His reply saw hundreds of his fans rush to lend their support to the star who is known to be vocal in his left-wing politics.