Outlander's Balfe Sets Record Straight on Reduced Off-Screen Time with Heughan
The friendship between the two seems not as passionate as it once was.
Starz's Outlander continues to be one of the most popular fantasy shows, even after having been on the air for almost a decade now. People greatly enjoy following the complex relationship between the two time-travelling lovers, Claire and Jamie, largely because of the incredible chemistry Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan seem to have both on and off screen, making their every public appearance a major spectacle.
However, it seems the pair might not be as close as they used to be.
During the show's first several seasons, Sam and Caitriona were practically inseparable, spending time in each other's company not only on the set of Outlander but also off-screen, hanging out, going for walks, and hitting pubs and restaurants. However, as their popularity soared and their careers took off, the two actors started to see each other less and less, although they remain good friends.
‘We like to be very prepared and focused but then we like to have a lot of fun. We like to not take ourselves too seriously even though we take the work seriously. But as our lives have gotten more complicated and busy, we may not see each other as much as we used to, but that core and that friendship and that base that we have has never changed,’ Balfe said at the 2023 Austin Television Festival.
The actress doesn't seem happy about not being able to spend as much time with her co-star off-screen as she would like to, as their bond meant a great deal to her during the early years of Outlander. However, the reason they don't hang out as much is not down to any personal disagreements or brewing conflict. The success of Outlander has made them both big stars, and their careers now demand a lot more time from them than ever before.
At the moment, Balfe is involved in the production of the upcoming Rami Malek movie Amateur, while Heughan is apparently a contender for the role of James Bond himself, and he may have a good shot at it, seeing how millions of fans are urging producer Barbara Broccoli to choose the Outlander star as the next 007.