‘Outlander’ Star Caitriona Balfe Called Out Sam Heughan and Things Got Awkward
Outlander’s Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe have played a married couple on-screen for nearly a decade. As Jamie and Claire Fraser, the duo has engaged in some of the most intimate, passionate scenes ever put on television. But in the real world, they live very separate lives. During a recent interview, Balfe called out Heughan for ignoring her work outside of Outlander — and things got awkward.
‘Outlander’ star Caitriona Balfe admits she’s been ‘really f**king lucky’ as an actor
Before she landed the lead role of a time-traveling World War II nurse in the Starz drama based on Diana Gabaldon’s long-running book series, Balfe had a successful career as a model. She didn’t attempt acting until her late 20s.
As Claire, Balfe says she’s found success that she never dreamed of. And the role has opened doors for her both in front of the camera and behind it. Most recently, she starred in Kenneth Brannagh’s award-winning film Belfast.
“I feel like I’m at that place in life where, what’s happening now, I know it doesn’t happen all the time,” Balfe told The Guardian. “It’s lovely, but it doesn’t mean you’re super-important…For someone who started in the industry so late, it’s been incredible. I don’t know, I got really f**king lucky.”
Balfe called out Sam Heughan and things got awkward
With Droughtlander finally over, Heughan and Balfe have been making the rounds in the press promoting Outlander season 6.
During a recent sit down with IMDb to answer fan questions, the TV husband and wife made it clear that they hadn’t spent much time together in recent months when Balfe called out Heughan for not having seen Belfast. Despite the fact that he had access to it for months.
“Sam, have you seen Belfast yet?” the question read, to which Heughan replied, “I really haven’t and I’m…” At this point, Balfe chimes in.
“I’m just going to point out that it’s been out for about six months,” Balfe notes, as Heughan tries to defend himself.
“No, I know… well I have to admit that I was in New Zealand. I was working. I couldn’t…,” Heughan said as his excuse.
“Aren’t you a BAFTA member? Don’t you get screeners?” Balfe asked.
Before they moved on to the next question, Heughan told someone off camera to put a viewing of Belfast on his schedule.
‘Outlander’ star Caitriona Balfe wonders how her acting career affects her child
While Balfe filmed Outlander season 6 with Heughan in the winter and spring of 2021, she was pregnant with her first child. The 42-year-old Irish beauty welcomed a son with her husband, music producer Tony McGill, in August. And she says she wonders what effect her acting career had on her child during her pregnancy.
“Claire’s story was very heavy this season. And it’s very heavy material as well. So, I was just like, ‘Does your body know if you’re pretending to be stressed and upset and angry?’ Because you’re going through all the motions to get yourself into a state where you’re crying or shouting or scared,” Balfe explained.
“And there were times where I must have been four or five months pregnant and I’m running around shooting guns. And I’m like, ‘What does this child think?’ It must be like, ‘Who the f**k is my mother? What am I being born into?’”
New episodes of Outlander air Sunday nights on Starz.
