Caitríona Balfe reveals how they kept 'Outlander' ending top secret

Wendy Naugle, USA TODAYMon, February 23, 2026 at 8:49 PM UTC

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Caitríona Balfe in Los Angeles, Calif., Nov. 9, 2021.

Time traveling, kilts, passion – “Outlander” has had it all through its 11-plus years. The show introduced us to Caitríona Balfe, an Irish actress who was struggling to stay in the business when she landed the part of Claire Beecham, the smart, brave and deeply human WWII nurse who falls in love with the sexy, wounded, fiercely loyal 18th century Highland warrior Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughen. Together, Balfe and Heughen launched countless memes and rewatches of that wedding scene, a ratings juggernaut for Starz, and a new spinoff, "Blood of My Blood." As season 8 prepares to kick off on March 6, Balfe, 46, reveals what it’s like to say goodbye.

This has been 11 years, and a one-of-a kind love story. When you signed on for this role, did you ever expect this was the journey you would go on?

Caitríona Balfe: Oh my God, no. It's so hard to even put myself back in those shoes, but I remember I was a struggling actor in L.A. I was just trying to get any job at all. I was like, oh, this would be the most incredible job. But my lawyer emailed me and he was like, ‘This would be a year in Scotland.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, a year in Scotland, that sounds kind of nice. My family's not far. I have a friend there.’ And then your whole life changes, and it's been the most incredible magical ride.

Caitríona Balfe filming Season 8 of Outlander.

When did you read the script for the final season?

Balfe: Normally, Sam and I would get an overview of the season before it starts. And then this season, (executive producer and showrunner) Matt (Roberts) kept his cards very close to his chest, so we were only getting the information as the scripts were being handed out. So we never really knew what our character's journey was going to be, or what was going to happen. … I knew there was stuff in it that wasn't going to be filmed, or that wasn't actually how it was going to end. So I still do not really know how it ends. Matt had put some dummy things in, because he didn't want it to leak.

You teared up when you took off Claire's wig for the last time. Have you been able to let go of Claire? How does it feel to be moving on from this character?

Balfe: I went and did this week-long yoga meditation, kind of hippie dippy retreat, purely because I wanted to say goodbye to her in a healthy way. I was like, I have a child, so I can't exactly hit the bottle to let this go. But I valued being able to do that in a really ritualistic way, because I do think you have to release the characters in a way. I lived with her for over a decade.

Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, and Diana Gabaldon at Jacob Javits Center on October 17, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Sean Zanni/Getty Images for STARZ)

At the very beginning of filming, you and Sam made a pact to always have each other's back. How did you do that for each other?

Balfe: Over the 11 years, I can probably look back on about maybe two or three instances where we—I'm sure I annoyed him a lot, but where we might've gotten even a tiny bit snippy with each other. We have always looked out for each other. Sam and I have a very natural—we're funny, we're very similar in some ways and then also very different in other ways—but we have always allowed each other the space (we needed). I don't think we were ever really competitive with each other. We've just always really supported each other and it has been probably the most special thing that I will take out of this whole journey, is that friendship that I have with him. That’s unique and rare, and means the world to me that we've been able to manage that.

You filmed in the cold, in the rain, on horseback, with animals, with children, every actor’s ‘do not do this!’ list. What was the most challenging location or shoot over the years?

Balfe: It's take your pick in some ways. There's a place that we filmed in this final season towards the end, and it was very high up and inaccessible. It's like the struggle to get up there, but then once you were up there, it was the most stunningly beautiful place. And so I feel like “Outlander” has always been like that. Everything is sort of like, it's a challenge, but it's a challenge that rewards you with this amazing beauty or this amazing moment.

John Bell, Diana Gabaldon, Maril Davis, Sophie Skelton, Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, and Richard Rankin at Jacob Javits Center on Oct. 17, 2024.

Do you have an all-time favorite scene?

Balfe: Probably the dance to the stones at the end of season two when Jamie's sending her back to Frank (Tobias Menzies). But also the fight between Frank and Claire in season three. I got to chuck an ashtray at his head, so that was quite fun.

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Did you save anything from set? Anything you're taking with you?

Balfe: It’s kind of a bone of contention, because I wanted my rings, and I was given my rings, and then they were like, oh no, we need them, but we'll give them back. And I still am waiting for them to come back to me. I feel like after that many marriages I should be rewarded with the rings!

Fans are incredibly devoted to this show, which is such a gift. But it also can be quite intense. How you deal with the fervor of that?

Balfe: I think my life has changed a lot (since the start of the show). Having a child (in summer 2021) has made me remove myself from social media, and in a way, social media has changed a lot – it used to be so nice when Twitter used to be Twitter ,and when Instagram used to be normal, one-on-one immediate interactions with fans. But yes, around the time when I got married (to music producer Tony McGill), there was some weirdness. (But) there's so much positivity to our fandom. They are the most incredibly generous, just supportive group. (Social media is) not part of my every day life if I don't go into that area. So I think I just removed myself, and then I don't have to deal with it.

As the show ends, how did you want to make sure you would do right by Claire, which may or may not be the same thing as how fans would like this to end?

Balfe: I mean, for me, I didn't have the responsibility of writing the season – that's a responsibility I wouldn't have wanted to have. That's a heavy load to carry. So my job was to do my job as best that I could and show up to work every day, give it my all and put my heart and soul into Claire; I hope I did that. And that's all we can do. And I hope that the fans enjoy it. That's the most important thing.

Outlander Season 8 Key Art, Image IDs: OLS8_080824_1555, shutterstock_2299799851, shutterstock_196332797, shutterstock_1854851881

I don't know if you've watched 'Heated Rivalry' yet –

Balfe: I haven't. I feel like I need to because everyone keeps talking about it.

'Outlander' had had some steamy sex scenes, and today we're seeing even more of that. With shows like 'Heated Rivalry' and 'Tell Me Lies'. Why do you think audiences want that kind of passion on screen?

Balfe: I think life is tough. I think everybody's got a lot going on, and whether it's the cost of living or things feeling divisive, when people go home and sit down at night – and as a parent of a young child, I know when I sit down at the end of the evening, I am just knackered, and so you want a little bit of love and positivity and fantasy in your life just to make your day a little bit easier.

There's a rumor that maybe this could be like 'Downton Abbey,' and 'Outlander' could go to the big screen and become a movie. Would you sign on for that?

Balfe: It would always depend on scripts. You can't just do it because it's been done. If there was a compelling story, then I would never say never.

Interview has been edited for clarity and length.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitríona Balfe reveals how they kept big 'Outlander' finale top secret

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