After spending 12 years playing Claire Fraser in Outlander, Caitríona Balfe is embracing a new chapter in her acting career. The Irish actress is moving on from the character who shaped much of her professional life, taking on new challenges in Apple Original Film Tenzing and the upcoming adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
In a new interview, Balfe reflected on the emotional experience of saying goodbye to Claire, returning to Nepal after 25 years, and why classic stories continue to resonate with audiences across generations.
For Balfe, who also appeared in Money Monster, Ford v Ferrari and Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, the transition represents an opportunity to explore different characters and creative experiences after more than a decade on one of television’s most beloved historical dramas.
Caitríona Balfe Reveals How She Moved On From Claire Fraser
Saying goodbye to Claire Fraser was no small moment for Balfe. After portraying the character for 12 years and across 101 episodes, the actress admitted that leaving Outlander meant closing a significant chapter of her life.
Following the conclusion of filming, Balfe took six months off before returning to work on Tenzing, in which she plays Jill Henderson, the Honorary Secretary of the Himalayan Club from 1951 to 1955.
“I had actually taken six months off after we wrapped Outlander, and playing Jill was the first job that I had to go back to,” Balfe explained.
“To let go of something like Claire was momentous. It was a huge chunk of my life. When we wrapped, it had been a quarter of my life that I had played that character.”
Although she was sad to leave Claire behind, Balfe said she felt ready for a new challenge. She spent time on a retreat, meditating and practising gratitude before returning to the industry.
“I think we were all ready to have new challenges in our lives. I was very sad to say goodbye to Claire, but I went off and I did a retreat and lots of meditating and gratitude, all of those things. I was ready to let her go, and take on new challenges.”
The actress described Tenzing as an especially meaningful opportunity because it brought together several things she had wanted to explore in her career.
“This job, when it came to me, felt like a real gift from the universe because it ticked so many boxes of things that I had wanted to do.”
Balfe also praised the experience of working with the film’s costume, hair and makeup teams to portray a woman living in the 1950s. Although her role is only one part of the larger story, she said the production gave her a reassuring introduction to life after Outlander.
“My role in Tenzing is a small part of this bigger picture, but it felt like the most beautiful taster of re-entry into the business in a new way.”
Returning to Nepal After 25 Years Was an Emotional Experience
Tenzing also gave Balfe the opportunity to revisit Nepal, a country she first visited as a 20-year-old student. The actress said that her original trip had left a lasting impression, making her eager to return when she learned where the film would be shot.
However, she initially worried that globalisation might have changed the country beyond recognition.
“Absolutely, that’s such a lovely question. Nepal had held such a special place in my heart because when I went as a 20 year old, it was the most incredible trip I had ever taken. It remained sort of that place in my heart where I always wanted to go back.”
Those concerns quickly faded when she arrived. Balfe was pleasantly surprised by how much had remained the same, as well as the way the country had modernised on its own terms.
She particularly enjoyed discovering locally owned coffee shops, design stores and yoga centres established by young Nepalese people who had studied or travelled abroad before returning home.
“There were no Western chains. I don’t know that I saw a single McDonald’s! There was no Starbucks. It was so refreshing.”
For Balfe, seeing Kathmandu evolve while retaining its distinct identity made the return especially memorable.
“It’s one of the most beautiful cities, and it was a beautiful thing to witness how it has evolved and how it’s growing, but in its own way.”
The One Challenge Caitríona Balfe Still Wants to Conquer
Although Balfe has built an impressive career across film and television, there is another area of acting she hopes to explore: theatre.
When asked whether she had a personal Everest she wanted to conquer, the actress pointed to her long-standing ambition to perform on stage.
“Maybe doing theatre. It seems so trite to use anything in our own lives and compare it to climbing Everest. But doing theatre is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid, and my life has taken many of these detours that haven’t let it happen yet. Maybe that will be my Everest.”
The answer reflects Balfe’s desire to continue challenging herself rather than simply repeating the successes of her past work.
She also spoke about Ireland’s longstanding storytelling tradition and the importance of giving people opportunities to engage with the arts from an early age.
For Balfe, storytelling, music and dance are more than paths to fame or professional success. They are ways for people to connect with their culture, express themselves and understand others.
“The arts is such an incredible vehicle for helping ease that division,” she said, discussing the impact of cuts to arts funding in schools and communities.
Would Caitríona Balfe Join a Superhero Movie?
Balfe is not ruling out a move into superhero films, either. Her Tenzing co-stars Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe are both widely recognised for their roles in superhero franchises, and the actress said she would be open to considering a similar project.
“Gosh, I would never say never! For me, it’s always about when I read something, does my heart connect to it or not?”
She acknowledged that big-budget films can have a powerful impact on audiences, particularly younger viewers. Her own five-year-old son is currently enthusiastic about Spider-Man, making superhero stories a regular presence at home.
“These big movies can really touch people and inspire people. I have a five-year-old son, and I see how excited he gets about things like that. Spider-Man is big in our house at the moment, so I would never say never to those.”
For now, however, Balfe’s attention is also turning to another literary adaptation that she hopes will connect with audiences in a different way.
Why Jane Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ Still Matters
Balfe is set to play Mrs. Dashwood in a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, directed by Georgia Oakley. The actress believes the enduring appeal of classic literature lies in its exploration of emotions and dilemmas that remain relevant centuries after the stories were written.
“Stories that are classics have these centralised themes that connect with us. They’re things that are essentially human, that we felt 200 or 300 years ago and will probably still feel 500 years in the future.”
Balfe pointed to love, the idea of home and the pursuit of power as themes that continue to shape human lives, regardless of the era in which a story is set.
She also praised Oakley’s interpretation of Austen’s work, describing the adaptation as both familiar and fresh.
“It’s a film that feels comforting because it’s something we’ve known for a very long time, but at the same time, it feels slightly provocative because it has this fresh take on it.”
The actress believes the story’s questions about money, relationships and personal priorities remain particularly relevant today.
“Especially now, when so much is about commercialism and capitalism, what is actually important in life? Is it connection of the heart? Do you choose these things with your head? Are decisions formed based on a monetary reason? All of these things are still as relevant today as they were in Regency England.”
Balfe hopes audiences will embrace the new film, which offers another opportunity to revisit a familiar story through a contemporary perspective.
“I hope audiences really connect with the film because I think it’s beautiful.”
After a defining 12-year run as Claire Fraser, Balfe is now exploring new roles, creative ambitions and stories that speak to different generations. From Tenzing to Sense and Sensibility, her next chapter is built around the same quality she believes makes great storytelling endure: its ability to connect people through shared human experiences.