When you play on-screen lovers for more than a decade, a strong connection is inevitable. That’s exactly what has happened between Outlander stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe. Since 2014, the pair has brought Jamie and Claire Fraser’s epic love story to life, spanning decades and continents. Off screen, they’ve also forged a close friendship that fans continue to admire.
In the series, Balfe’s Claire travels back in time to 1743 Scotland, where she meets the dashing Jamie Fraser. From that moment, her world changes forever. But behind the scenes, the actors’ own relationship has been just as meaningful.
Sam and Caitriona Have “Got Each Other’s Back”
Over the years, Balfe has praised Heughan’s kindness and loyalty. “Sam’s just so kind,” she told Elle in 2017. “He’s a really good friend. He always checks in. I don’t know, he has one of the biggest hearts and smallest egos that I know.”
Heughan has been equally open about his admiration for Balfe. “No, she’s not only a great actress, she’s a great friend and a great advice giver, too. And we have each other’s backs,” he said. “It’s a remarkable journey that we’ve been on, starting this together, being thrown in the deep end and being like, Okay! We’re going to do this together. It’s a nice bond and I think people are fascinated by it, in a weird way—I know the fans are. We respect each other and have got each other’s backs. I’m very fortunate that we have that, it’s great.”
Always Proud of Each Other’s Work
The admiration extends to their craft. During a conversation with TVLine, Balfe reflected on watching Heughan perform a powerful scene in an episode she directed for the upcoming eighth season. “It was just so beautifully done, and when I was watching it, I was like, ‘That is why every woman falls in love with Jamie Fraser.’”
Producers See Their Chemistry Too
Their bond hasn’t gone unnoticed by the people behind the camera. Producer Maril Davis told Express in 2023 that their connection has been vital to the show’s success.
“That friendship and that chemistry has always been so evident and they just work so well together and you see it on the screen and you see it in real life and that relationship,” she said. “I have so much respect for them that they have been able to have this friendship but they’re the only two that have been in that position and they’ve remained really strong and I think that that has helped guide our show in terms of, there hasn’t been a falling out between the two of them, they’ve maintained they know how important that is.”
An Instant Connection from the Start
Balfe’s casting as Claire was a turning point for the series. Though many women auditioned, her chemistry with Heughan was undeniable from the very beginning.
“We just started chatting in the test before we started the audition, and we just seemed to get on,” Heughan told Entertainment Weekly in 2014. “Her humor is fantastic. She’s great fun to work with. She’s very hardworking, a wonderful actress, very natural. It’s been really fun to see where the relationship goes between us. We didn’t make any overly complex decisions on our characters’ relationship. We just wanted to see where the story has taken us. So far, it’s been a real journey.”