#Caitriona Balfe
Outlander: Scottish Passion Heads to South AfricaBy Margaret Gardiner
Caitriona Balfe is a long, line of a woman, with huge blue eyes set in alabaster skin. The black hair perfectly frames high cheek bones and a full mouth. The accent has the softest of Irish lilts. All of this is self evident and one feels one should not mention the outsides, as while they are very much part of an arresting woman, they are not the most interesting parts about this woman.
The former model is not precious in the least. Rather like the character, Claire Fraser, that she portrays in the hit series, Outlander, that continues to balloon in popularity across the world, Caitriona has a ‘can-do’ disposition. I’ve interviewed her in San Diego in the crush of Comicon, in the plump perfection of an exclusive Beverly Hills Hotel, and shared a dinner with her in the grassy garden of Outlander costume designer, Terry Dresbach, in Scotland. No matter the setting, she has a wicked laugh, a great story to tell, and handles whiskey in the way of a connoisseur. She’s easy to chat to, reaching out to find commonalities and put you at ease.
It was with great disappointment that she had to break the news to fans that she and co-star, hunky Sam Heughan, who portrays Jamie Fraser, although very good friends, were not an item off set. In the broader sense, she is an advocate of romance, “Love is one of the strongest emotions, and I don’t think humanity would survive without it.” “The Scottish Highlands are full of romance, the wild country, the intensity of the landscape, the weather. Everything mirrored in the relationship between Claire and Jamie.”
When I ran into her in the ballroom at the Golden Globes earlier this year, she was excited about the upcoming season which will shoot in Cape Town, South Africa, though she was mum about what we should expect. She did add, that she was “looking forward to enjoying the incredible restaurants Cape Town is famous for, as well as tasting some of its wines” - world renowned, and generally “exploring the country.” South Africa will stand in for the Bahamas during Outlander Season 3. In fact a previous Starz show, Blacksails - starring the amazing Zach McGowan, was shot in Cape Town, to take advantage of the huge sound stage that is able to create images of ships at sea - perfect for Diana Gabaldon’s Voyager. Although we know the story, we can’t wait to see Caitriona and Sam recreate the love between Claire and Jamie.
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