Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe will be back as Claire Fraser – but what is there to know about the Irish actress away from the Scottish drama?
Season seven, part two, is making its debut on MGM+ and Starz this week, picking up from where it left off with Claire, Jamie Fraser (played by Sam Heughan) and Young Ian (John Bell) back in Scotland.
Ahead of the romantic drama’s return to the small screen, fans are curious to know all there is about the 45-year-old actress behind Claire Fraser.
Bullying
Born in Dublin in 1979, Caitriona grew up in Tydavnet, a village in County Monaghan, and is the fourth of five children with her parents later adopting two more.
While her mum stayed at home to look after the family, her dad was a sergeant for Ireland’s national police service, the Garda Siochana.
Unfortunately because of her dad’s job, Caitriona was a victim of school bullying.
She told The Sun: “I think growing up as a child of a Garda can sometimes be tough especially because of where we were living.
“Kids they find one thing and they kind of focus on it.
“We came from a very small school and very rural area but there was a lot of bullying going on. It makes you stronger, eventually.”
Modelling
When Caitriona was 18, she was collecting money at a local shopping centre when she was scouted by a Ford Models scout and was offered the chance to work for them in Paris.
She spent 10 years working in the industry, modelling for brands including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Givenchy and Dolce & Gabbana, walking in more than 250 runway shows in a three-year period.
But the star felt the urge to leave her modelling career behind and pursue her initial dream of acting and moved to Los Angeles.
However, working as a model did have its impact on Caitriona as she shared that she went to therapy after making the switch.
“I spent quite a bit of time in therapy in my early 30s when I arrived in LA because that was a time of huge reckoning for myself and trying to figure out how I had got to where I was at,” she said.
“I was starting a whole new thing and knew I didn’t have all of the tools.
“I think if I hadn’t gone into therapy at that point I don’t know if I would have been able to get through those lean years and look after myself.
“A lot of people have this perception of models as these stuck up, overly confident young women who are super privileged, but my experience is very very different to that.
“It is a very lonely business, and it can be very tough on your confidence and your self esteem.”
Famous husband
Caitriona is married to music producer Tony McGill who she met through one of her friends, according to The Irish Independent.
The pair have preferred to keep their romance quiet but shared at the 2018 Golden Globes that they were engaged after two years of dating with the Outlander actress stating: “It happened over the break. I’m very happy.”
They went on to get married at St Mary’s Church in Bruton, Somerset, in August 2019 and welcomed their son on August 18, 2021.
Outlander tease
It was during the cast’s visit to the New York Comic Con in October that the Irish actress talked about what’s to be expected in the second half of season seven.
She shared: “Look, nothing good ever happens when the Frasers are separated.
“And I think this season is probably the greatest example of that.
“The relationship is tested more than it’s been for many, maybe a couple of decades.”
Caitriona added: “Claire learns a lot about herself… but I think they also learn that, you know, at this point, it’s never a what if, like, will they won’t they?
“You know, we know that they’re together and they love each other. But I think it’s more like, how are they going to get through this, rather than will they?
“And that’s the kind of interesting thing about its growing marriage.”
Outlander season seven, part two, premieres on Friday, November 22, on MGM+ on Prime Video in the UK and Starz in the US.