Outlander star Caitriona Balfe would not encourage women to chase modelling career

By Sean O'Grady, Press Association Deputy Entertainment Editor

Outlander star Caitriona Balfe has said she would not encourage young women to enter the modelling industry like she did.

The actress, 46, is best known for her role as Claire Fraser in the historical fantasy series but prior to becoming an actress, she modelled for the likes of Chanel and Louis Vuitton in Paris.

Speaking to Tatler, Balfe admitted that although she enjoyed getting to travel the world as a young model, it is not a career she would advise others to pursue.

She said: “Would I be rushing to say to somebody, ‘Your daughter should be a model’? Probably not… It was a different time. But I value the education I got from travelling the world so much.”

Balfe, who was raised in County Monaghan, became a model in her late teenage years and moved to Paris at age 18.

Speaking previously on Angela Scanlon’s Thanks A Million podcast, Balfe said she found the pressure of always being compared to others difficult.

She said: “There was always people doing better and constantly being compared to people.

“I think, as a young woman in your teens and twenties, that’s really hard, it’s hard enough anyway.

“You know, there’s so many times where you would go into castings or even fittings for jobs that you already supposedly had and somebody in the room would just be annihilating how you look or your lack of personality or you talk too much.”

The finale of Outlander aired in May, with Balfe saying she “cried for ages” after saying goodbye to the show she worked on for 12 years.

The star was also asked about the current crop of Irish actors making waves in Hollywood including Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Andrew Scott and Saoirse Ronan.

Asked why she thinks so many have been successful, she said: “I think because we’ve always valued the arts.

“You grow up, you get together, you sing, you recite poetry or tell stories. It’s so ingrained in you from being a kid that that’s part of how you express yourself.”

Balfe is married to music producer Tony McGill and gave birth to a son in 2021.

The actress said she hopes to spend more time in Ireland in the future, adding: “I think, especially as my son is getting a bit older, I’m craving connecting with Ireland more.”