Outlander’s Caitríona Balfe reflected on the success of the show
At a recent virtual event, Outlander star Caitríona Balfe shared heartfelt words about the Starz historical drama, reports the Scottish Daily Express.
The Irish actress, known for her role as Claire Fraser, took a moment to reflect on the show’s achievements and express gratitude towards her colleagues.
Balfe remarked: “I think we’ve been so spoiled to have so many years of the show doing so well and being promoted so well.”
She continued, acknowledging the network’s support: “Every single year, Starz have been so amazing and they’ve put these massive billboards up and it’s almost like you start to get used to it, until you realise this may never happen again and it’s a really amazing thing that we’ve been a part of.”
Addressing the cast of the upcoming prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood, she said: “And I hope you guys get to have the same experiences for a very long time because it’s really very special and it’s not to be taken for granted.”
Balfe, who also starred in Ford v Ferrari and Belfast, was speaking at The Gathering, an online celebration hosted by Starz in honor of Outlander Day on June 1, commemorating the publication date of Diana Gabaldon’s first novel in the series.
The event, which teased the new prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood, brought together actors from both the original and upcoming series to discuss what fans can expect.
Harriet Slater, portraying Ellen MacKenzie in Blood of My Blood, expressed her awe after Balfe’s tribute: “I just want to say congratulations because you’ve made such an incredible show, and like you said, it’s so rare for a show to go on that long these days.
“I feel like things are cancelled left, right and centre, so it’s amazing that you’ve made this and it’s so loved and I feel very proud to be joining, and we’ve got some big boots to fill.”
Adding his own accolades, Jamie Fraser portrayer Sam Heughan declared: “We’re actually going to be the biggest fans of your show.
“Honestly, I can’t wait to see all the younger versions of ourselves or the characters we love.”
He went on to extend gratitude: “A big thank you to our showrunners and writers, Diana Gabaldon who… she was the beginning of all this stuff. Good luck and we’re rooting for you.”
Outlander: Blood of My Blood, a limited series spanning 10 episodes, will delve into the romantic journeys of Claire and Jamie’s parents.
Blood of My Blood follows in the footsteps of Outlander, spanning across different eras with Claire’s parents’ story unfolding during World War One and a fervent romance blossoming between Jamie’s parents in 17th century Scotland.
Although Blood of My Blood does not adapt any particular book by Diana Gabaldon, it draws on Outlander canon, leveraging details shared by Jamie and Claire regarding their parents.
The absence of original source material has granted the writers greater creative freedom to experiment with the narrative and fill in certain blanks, especially concerning Claire’s parents, Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine) and Julia Moriston (Hermione Corfield).
While Claire was only aware that her parents perished in a car accident, it appears that Blood of My Blood will provide a definitive resolution to their story.