Caitríona Balfe has been playing Claire Fraser on Outlander for over a decade.
The show’s final season wrapped filming last year and it was an emotional goodbye for the Monaghan actress.
Speaking on the IFTA red carpet, she admitted that she was “sad” that she won’t be putting on her Claire costume again.
“I learnt everything on that show. My resumé before I got that show and 11 years later I feel like it’s just stretched me in just so many different ways,” she admits.
“The great thing about that genre is that it encompasses so many different things. You get to do everything. You get to do romance, action, it’s dramatic, it’s funny at times. It asks a lot of you and it was an amazing experience. I’m very grateful and I’m still a bit sad that it’s over.”
Of course, Caitríona has been one of the leading names in Irish film over the last few years, appearing in critically acclaimed flicks like Ford v Ferrari and Belfast. And she couldn’t help but gush about the Irish talent around the globe.
“The Irish industry is one of the most exhilarating ones in the world. There are just Irish people everywhere. It’s great! There’s so much incredible film and TV coming out of Ireland at the moment. It’s amazing to see how many of our actors are doing incredible things on the world stage as well,” she enthuses.
As for what she’s loving right now, she says: “I’m a huge Bad Sisters fan. I feel like I’m the only Irish actress who hasn’t been in it. The girls [Lola Petticrew and Hazel Doupe] who were in Say Nothing were just incredible. And of course, small up-and-coming actor Paul Mescal.”
