#cait interview

Actress Caitriona Balfe on learning to appreciate the quieter times, the joys of driving in LA, and returning to the set of her hit TV show Outlander

We’ve all been watching a lot of TV shows and films recently – are there any that you’ve become hooked on? ‘Oh, I feel like I’ve watched all of Netflix! In the beginning we watched a lot of series, so we watched ZeroZeroZero, which was fantastic, The Queen’s Gambit, The Crown and Ted Lasso. But lately, my brain doesn’t have the bandwidth for a series, so it’s just been a lot more films. We watched Nomadland the other day, which was amazing, and Promising Young Woman, which was so good.’

It must be quite heartening, as an actress, to know what comfort people are getting from sitting down and watching really good television and film? ‘It’s funny that, out of all my siblings, we always joke that I’m the one who doesn’t have a real job! It’s kind of nice to feel that what you do is appreciated by people. Though my sister, who works for Pfizer, is rightly feeling very smug about how important her job is.’

You were in parody sci-fi series Star Force 2, which was all filmed over Zoom. What was that like? ‘You know, it’s just so fun. The two guys who write and direct it are great, and I know them through a friend of mine, Steven Cree, who used to be in Outlander. Steve reached out early on and said, “Hey, do you want to do this silly thing we’re doing?” And, especially when you’re cooped up, the opportunity to just be silly and play is so good. It grew legs, and lots of people enjoyed it in a really silly way.’

Any other ways you’ve been able to channel your creativity over the past few months? Any hobbies? ‘Well, all sorts of domestic things that I normally don’t have any time to do, like cooking my own meals. And like everyone else I started a herb garden, and I got back into things that I used to do a lot of, like drawing. I was reading for pleasure a lot more, and I was writing as well. Things that you always wish you had more time to do. The one thing we did have was a lot of time.’

So there are elements of slowing down and having a quieter time that you enjoy? ‘It does kind of put into focus that your life is meant to be lived, and not put on the back-burner for one day when you will have time. I love my job and I love work, but it can’t be the be-all and end-all.’

Do you look back at your schedule from before and wonder how you used to fit it all in? ‘I don’t have to look back because we’re filming Outlander now and I’m thinking, “How did I do this!” I’ve never been so exhausted in my life! But in many ways it’s been amazing, and I think it’s so important that we were able to get back to work. A lot of effort and a lot of work went into making sure that it’s safe. I mean, it’s not without it’s stresses.’

But you’re getting used to the challenges that come with filming at the moment? ‘You know, it’s funny how adaptable we all are. In the beginning it feels so strange to wear a mask, and then suddenly you’re having to be reminded to take it off when the camera starts rolling because you forget it’s on your face. As with all of these things, we humans adapt very well. I think it’s just about realising why you’re doing it, and that you’re not just looking after yourself but you’re looking after everyone else too.’

For fans of the show, is there anything you can tell us about the upcoming series and what happens with Claire? ‘It’s a really great season. There’s a lot of change coming to Fraser’s Ridge, new people arrive and they bring a lot of upheaval. And, as always with Outlander, we get to a safe place for Claire and Jamie and we lull everyone into this false sense of security... then we rip it out from under them.’

You’ve made your home in Scotland, and Outlander is filmed in some absolutely amazing locations. When things are a bit more normal, where are some of your favourite places to go in Scotland? ‘There are just so many beautiful places! After last season ended, I went up to Glencoe, which is so stunning. It’s a really gorgeous place to get some R&R, and it has the most stunning scenery. The Cairngorms are so beautiful – up near Braemar is wonderful. But there’s still so much of Scotland I need to explore. I haven’t made it to Skye yet, but that’s high on my list.’

You’re also in a new film, Belfast, written and directed by Kenneth Branagh, which is based on Branagh’s own childhood experiences. How was that? ‘It was amazing because Ken let us take what he had created on the page and make it our own. We spoke so much about the story, the time that it was set in, and what his parents were experiencing at that time. He grew up in Belfast until 1969, and my family moved to just south of the border in 1979/80. Obviously it was a very different period by then, but I do think we shared a personal connection to Northern Ireland and the troubles in some way. It felt like a very personal film for everybody that was there, and for Ken it’s such a passion project, and it was just amazing to be able to go on that journey with him.’

You starred alongside Matt Damon and Christian Bale in Le Mans ’66. Do you have a passion for cars and racing? ‘Yeah, I was always a Formula 1 fan, I’ve been watching it since I was a teenager. Le Mans was not so much on my radar, but it was one of the great jobs, as part of my research was just watching all these amazing races and shows on car racing, and I do love it. That film ticked a lot of boxes for me, and it was so much fun to film it and see all the cars and the amazing stuff the stunt drivers can do.’

Is driving something you enjoy yourself? ‘I do, I love driving. I was a very late bloomer, though. By age 17 I had left home and I was living in cities, so I was always a public transport person and never really needed to drive. Then I got my licence when I moved to LA, and I think LA is the greatest city for driving. I mean, you can’t get around without a car, but there’s also something so cinematic about driving around that city. There’s a romance to it in a weird way, especially with the lights and all those iconic things that you see. I’d be on road trips with my friends all the time back then – I loved it. And my first car was an Audi, so there you go.’

What car do you drive now? ‘Right now we have the Audi Q5 but we’ll hopefully be getting the Q5 TFSI e very soon, so that’s exciting. I just love driving an Audi – it’s the car I’ve always driven, and the way they handle is just so amazing.’

And what do you listen to while you drive? ‘It’s generally always 6Music and some banging tunes! There’s such a freedom that comes with driving, and maybe that’s because I lived in New York for so long in my 20s. The next phase of my life, when I started to drive, opened up the world in such a different way. In America, just going to the next city is a three- or four-hour drive. I used to head up the coast to San Francisco quite a bit, and there’s nothing as special as that – those kind of drives are just stunning.’

Caitriona Balfe about Outlander 5x09, “Monsters and Heroes” [LA Times Can’t Stop Watching podcast with Yvonne Villarreal]

In my twenties it was very different... I think now — because I know my value, because I do work hard — I can see the value in that. That I’m quite comfortable with saying what I want. And I think that’s something all women need to learn... I think as women we’re so scared to be seen as difficult. And we are. And I know that I’ve acquired that moniker occasionally because I do, now, speak up for myself a lot. And I think as women we have to sort of not be afraid of being called difficult. Because they’re going to call us difficult no matter what, anyway.

In Conversation with Caitriona Balfe

Anne-Marie Balfe sits down to talk with her younger sister Caitriona to discuss women in careers, including Caitriona’s own two careers as a highly demanded fashion model and now as a Golden Globe nominated actress working with names like George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Matt Damon.

This Zoom interview, hosted by City Women Network, benefited Well Being of Women, a charity dedicated to improving the health of women and babies and that raises money to invest in medical research and the development of specialist doctors and nurses working in the field of reproductive health.

Caitriona Balfe | PGA Awards Red Carpet Interview

Caitriona talks to Entertainment Tonight about Outlander Season 5, Ford v Ferrari, and what it takes to handle rejecting in the tough acting industry