Caitríona Balfe’s journey to becoming one of television’s most recognizable stars was far from straightforward. Before she was cast as Claire Fraser in Outlander, the Irish actress had already experienced an international modeling career, financial struggles and the uncertainty that came with trying to establish herself as an actress.
Balfe eventually became the face of Outlander, starring alongside Sam Heughan for years as Claire and Jamie Fraser. Their close friendship has frequently attracted attention from fans, but behind the scenes, Balfe has built a private family life with Scottish music producer Tony McGill.
Caitríona Balfe’s Difficult Years as a Model
Before Outlander, Balfe worked as a catwalk model for major fashion houses including Chanel, Valentino, Alexander McQueen and Givenchy. While the runway could be exciting, she has been open about the darker side of the profession and how it affected her personally.
“There was something about the theatricality of the runway shows and the event of it that I really loved,” she initially told Vanity Fair.
However, Balfe said her feelings about the industry eventually changed.
“For the last couple of years I was miserable, really. It’s not exactly the nicest industry or the healthiest industry.”
She also described the less glamorous side of catalog modeling, explaining: “The shows were fun and exciting, but with catalogues, you’re just standing there like a clothes horse – literally,” Caitriona told The Guardian. “And you know, ‘This is not what I want to be doing with my life.’
Balfe later summarized the impact modeling had on her confidence in striking terms.
“Modelling does two things,” Caitriona said. “It gives you a really, really tough exterior and then a really broken interior. Everyone’s experience is different, but I know my confidence and my self-esteem when I finished was in the toilet. Being in that for so long can leave you pretty messed up for a little bit.”
She also felt that being known first as a model created another obstacle when she tried to establish herself as an actress.
“So many actors used to work in bars or used to be this or that, but you come with a lot of stigma when you’ve been a model. And that’s a hard thing to overcome, that being the first thing that people thought of me.”
Caitríona Balfe Was Struggling Financially Before ‘Outlander’
Balfe’s situation had not dramatically improved by the time she began auditioning for Outlander. She later recalled that she was living in Los Angeles and struggling to find acting work.
“It was a total crapshoot,” says Balfe.
“I had done a few jobs, nothing of note really. I was living in LA and I was really struggling, actually, it was about four or five months since I’d had a job.”
She had submitted auditions for Outlander but hadn’t heard anything back, so she planned a holiday to India with friends. Then, while she was there, producers contacted her and told her she needed to return to London immediately for a final screen test.
The opportunity ultimately changed her life.
“So I signed on for six seasons at that point,” she continued. “I mean, you’re broke, you’ve got nothing else going on. My lawyer was like, ‘You do realise this is shooting in Scotland? You’ll be there for a year for the first season?’
“I was like, ‘A year’s great, a change of scenery, I’m not doing much in LA anyway.’ Yeah, I didn’t realise I’d still be there almost eight and a half years later.”
Caitríona Balfe Almost Missed Out on Playing Claire
Balfe’s audition for Outlander initially gave her very little information about the character or the scale of the project.
“My manager had sent me this two or three-line logline and was like, ‘Here, tape this audition,’” the Belfast star explained. “It was such a thinly drawn description of the role, of the character.”
She didn’t even realize at first that the role was connected to Diana Gabaldon’s hugely popular book series or that the story involved time travel.
“It was basically ‘a nurse.’ There was no personality description. I think it was, ‘a nurse, 1940s.’ It was literally two lines.”
Balfe also faced concerns about whether she physically matched the description of Claire Fraser from the books. Claire is described as being 5 foot 6 inches tall, with light brown curly hair and striking golden eyes, while Balfe was taller with dark brown hair.
“Claire is often talked about as having a very plump rear end and I know they felt I was too tall and too skinny,” she admitted to RadioTimes.
Looking back on the reaction to her casting, Balfe recalled:
“I think the initial reaction to my casting was like ‘Well, she’s too tall, and she’s too skinny, she doesn’t have brown eyes and her hair’s not curly!’
“The thing is, everyone has a subjective vision of what these characters are supposed to look like. When you’re casting anything, hopefully they’re looking for people who embody the character in an essence way rather than just the physical.”
Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan’s ‘Outlander’ Friendship
After years of filming Outlander together, Balfe and Heughan developed a close friendship that has frequently been discussed in interviews.
Speaking on This Morning in 2022, Heughan reflected on how their relationship developed as the series continued.
“Absolutely, we were very green and we didn’t really know where this was going to go,” he recalled.
“It’s going to be a decade by the time we finish the next season. So ten years together, we are like this… I don’t know, there’s this great friendship we’ve got.”
He added: “We’re sort of like this couple that have, sort of, grown together.”
Heughan has also praised Balfe’s talent and their on-screen chemistry.
“Firstly, I mean, my chemistry with my co-star Caitríona Balfe, she’s an incredible actress,” he began.
“We were two green actors, we didn’t have much experience, and we’ve been on this amazing journey together.”
In another interview, Heughan described Balfe as one of his closest friends.
“From when we started, she’s one of my best friends. She’s a great confidant, she’s a great actress, we spend a lot of time together. We’ve become so close.”
He continued: “And we’ve grown up together as well from the beginning where we knew nothing really, to now where we’re producers on the show…. Not only that, on set, she’s a great set partner, she’s generous, great humour, worst humour actually – because she corpses all the time.
“She’s strong, she’s thoughtful, she knows what she wants from a scene, yet she’s open to anything. You know what! Great in a basketball team, great in an American football team, she can get in there amongst the guys, she would knock you over… she’s the MVP of the Outlander team.”
Balfe has been equally complimentary about her longtime co-star.
“I hope he knows how much I appreciate him. He’s such a gentle soul and he creates such an easy environment no matter where he goes. He’s kind to everybody. He is very funny.
“I’ve been really lucky. I’m sure I annoy the hell out of him every so often! We really, at this point, feel like family. He allows me the space to be myself. May roll his eyes behind my back! I hope what we do is allow each other to work each other’s thoughts out… without impinging upon each other. We give each other space.”
Caitríona Balfe’s Private Family Life
Away from Outlander, Balfe has deliberately kept much of her personal life away from the spotlight. She married Scottish music producer Tony McGill in 2019 after the pair were first linked publicly in 2016.
The actress has also explained why she chose not to make her wedding a public event. When a fan questioned why she hadn’t shared photographs from the ceremony, Balfe responded:
“Cause that was for me, my husband, and my family. Sorry…but thank you for the love xxx.”
In August 2021, Balfe announced that she and McGill had welcomed a baby boy. She has kept his name private but shared her feelings about becoming a mother.
“We are so grateful for this little soul ….that he chose us as his parents,” she shared.
“I’m in awe of him already and can’t help stare and wonder at all the possibilities of who he will become, where he will go and what he’ll do on the big adventure of his life.”
Balfe’s desire for privacy became even stronger after she experienced unwanted attention from some fans.
“When you have a kid, you become really protective. I don’t want those crazies — because that’s what they are — I just don’t want them talking about him,” she said.
The actress has also revealed that fans contacted a church on her wedding day to question whether her marriage to McGill was “real,” while some allegedly went as far as hiring private investigators to determine whether Balfe and Heughan were romantically involved.
Despite the intense attention surrounding Outlander, Balfe has continued to maintain a clear separation between her hugely public career and the family life she prefers to keep private.
