Gorgeous Photos of Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe Together
For seven seasons, Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe have heated up the small screen as Jamie and Claire in Outlander. Based on a much-loved book series of the same name by author Diana Gabaldon, the Starz time-traveling drama follows the characters' as they navigate historic conflicts like the Jacobite rising and the American Revolutionary War. But not to worry—there's plenty of romance, too.
And in addition to the actors' talents, it's the incredible details in the show's production that have helped make the series an international hit. The script, costuming, makeup, and set designs all aim to be as historically accurate as possible—which isn't always easy. Heughan's kilt? There's nothing underneath. Balfe's dresses? Typically involve a period-appropriate corset. There's no doubt about it: Outlander's cast and crew works hard, and it shows.
Whether you're an Outlander die-hard or are just getting into it, take a look at these photos, which offer a glimpse at Heughan and Balfe's sweet interactions with fans—and each other.
Where It All Began
Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe share a warm look as they attend the Outlander panel discussion at the 2014 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour. Not too long after, the show debuted and became an instant sensation.
From the Beginning
Lucky viewers got a sneak peek at Outlander—and its main stars—months before the show's premiere at a screening at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. "We just started chatting in the test before we started the audition, and we just seemed to get on," Heughan said of Balfe at the time in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "Her humor is fantastic. She's great fun to work with. She's very hardworking, a wonderful actress, very natural."
Horsing Around
Immediately after being cast, the actors had to take horseback riding classes. "I had to learn horse riding for the job, and I absolutely love it. It's great fun," Heughan revealed to Just Jared. Fun fact: His main horses are named Sleepy and Pinocchio, while Balfe's is named Travis.
Toasting to Success
The stars cheers to their first season of Outlander, while discussing their characters at PaleyFest LA in March 2015. The season one finale aired just two months later, and fans couldn't wait for more.
Ready for Battle
Look closely at this 2014 episode, and you'll notice Jamie holding his sword in his right hand. Every actor throughout every season does the same. There's a reason you won't ever find a left-handed person on Outlander. In the 18th century, lefties were (bizarrely) considered supernatural and evil, so they often pretended to be right-handed.
Getting Intimate
Fans were thrilled when Jamie and Claire wed in season one—but filming that wedding night scene was a bit awkward for Heughan and Balfe. "She's like my sister and tells me exactly what I'm doing wrong and I need to know these things!" he joked on The Love/Hate Club podcast.
A Close Bond
The on-screen chemistry these two share translates to real life, as seen here at The People's Choice Awards in 2015. Despite speculation they were previously an item, Heughan and Balfe have always maintained they're just friends—especially after she married Scottish band manager Tony McGill in 2019.
Tea Time
The tea was hot at the 2015's BAFTA Los Angeles Tea Party, and years later, Balfe spilled some tea of her own. She opened up about people who called the church where she was married, convinced her marriage was fake and her relationship with Heughan was real. "It's sad, because you meet the loveliest people who are fans of the show and they're super supportive and they do the nicest things—and then you have that little thing, which just taints it," she told Vanity Fair.
Bottoms Up
Sharing drinks seems to be one of these costar's favorite thing to do, spotted here laughing over Heughan's flask at 2015's Comic Con. Moments later, they enjoyed a glass with the rest of the cast.
Book Worms
Here, the two actors attend a 2015 Golden Globes after party at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. Despite being a force of nature together onscreen, they have a very different approach to preparing for scenes. While Heughan reads through all the books in order, Balfe only reads up to the parts that she's filming at the time. "It's so interesting to see what the writers have done and where we're going. I don't know where we end up," he said on the Outlander End of Summer Series.
Signing Autographs
While attending the AOL Build Speakers Series in New York City in 2016, the duo—along with costar Tobias Menzies—sign a wall. "It's fun to play off someone like Tobias," Heughan told Entertainment Weekly of filming his most difficult scenes alongside Menzies. "He's a great actor and it's good to go to those dark places."
World Premiere
Here, Balfe and Heughan attend 2016's season two world premiere at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
One Fashionable Cast
In addition to the emotional storylines and intense drama, it's the costuming on Outlander that plays a huge role in taking fans back in time. In 2016, Saks Fifth Avenue unveiled its special Outlander window displays in New York City. "This kind of plays into a little bit of Claire's character," Balfe told InStyle of the event. "Terry [Dresbach, Outlander's costume designer] plays with the idea that Claire took her 1940s knowledge of the Dior 'New Look' and brought it back with her, incorporated it into her 18th century costumes."
Realistic Costumes
Incredible detail goes into each and every look for Balfe and Heughan's characters. "For Claire, in particular, I wanted to go back to the beginning. Her costumes here are very much like they were in Scotland," costume designer Terry Dresbach told Harper's BAZAAR. "In Season 1, she wears that green plaid gown and she's got that green plaid shawl. For Season 4, we had to make her a new shawl. It can't be the same colors, but it has to feel like that shawl from Season 1."
As for Jamie: "This is the suit he would have held onto—the most practical garment he had. It makes sense that we keep seeing it moving through the show; he's not prancing around the print shop wearing some embroidered silk. You can see the repair work we've done on it."
Snapping Selfies
By 2017, Balfe and Heughan were already household names. Here, they pose for pictures with fans at season three's red carpet premiere in New York City.
A Close Bond
In 2017, Heughan admitted he misses Balfe while not filming with her. “Actually, having scenes away from her, and time apart from her, is kind of like losing someone in your family. A loved one. It's very strange, and I don't enjoy it," he told PopSugar.
In Between Takes
While in character, the costars pause to sign autographs as they leave a filming location in 2018 at St. Andrew's Square in Glasgow, Scotland.
Cast Hangouts
The leading actors (far right)—along with their costars—attend 2018's season four screening and costume exhibition at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival in Georgia.
Meeting Fans
Lines formed out the door as fans eagerly waited to meet the stars at 2018's New York Comic Con. In 2016, a fan blogged about her experience spending time with Heughan on set, detailing the down-to-earth conversation and jokes he shared with her that day. "As he was walking away, I stood up and said, 'Wait! Can we have an actual picture with you?' He turned around and winked at me," she wrote.
Sharing a Laugh
Balfe couldn't hold in laughter at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival in 2018. It's not the first time Heughan has made her laugh. "What happens normally [on set] is that Caitriona starts to laugh, then ruins the take... We can't stop laughing, which gets a little embarrassing. But then that makes us laugh even more, which is really bad," he once shared during a fan Q&A.
Dedicated Following
One thing is for sure: Outlander viewers are one of the most passionate fanbases out there. Here, the actors pose with fans dressed in character at 2019's New York Comic Con. A few years earlier, Balfe told E! the story of "The Outlander Bakers," a group of supporters that would show up to set with desserts for the cast. "Sam has been very smart about it," she joked, "He just sort of tweets his love of all things peanut butter and there it arrives!"
Fun in the Sun
It's not all sword fights and steamy scenes for the pair, who had a blast together at the Henley Festival with their costars in England back in 2019.
A Big Announcement
Heughan and Balfe lit up the red carpet with excitement when they announced season five would begin airing a few days early during the premiere at Hollywood Palladium in February 2020.
To Be Continued?
Once inside the season five premiere, the pair are snapped exchanging a sly look. Their contracts reportedly both end after season 7—something Balfe has hinted at. "We will have hit the almost 10-year mark by the end of that, which feels like a nice kind of time frame, but we don't know. Those decisions are far above my pay grade," she admitted to Vanity Fair.
Pandemic Struggles
Even the COVID-19 pandemic couldn't stop these two from reuniting. Balfe joined Heughan remotely for a chat at 2021's New York Comic Con, later admitting the pandemic also hindered her hopes of directing an episode of Outlander. "It would've been the perfect chance for me in a very safe space," she told Vanity Fair. "I'm so close with all of our camera crew, and they were always having conversations about what lens they're using and what frame it is and they're really always super helpful in giving me as much information as I want. It's a shame, but out of my hands."
On the red carpet
Here they are at the premiere of season seven, a super-sized season, which is set to have 16 episodes.
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