Outlander’s long-time executive producer Maril Davis spoke about the two actors’ onscreen dynamic.
Epic time-travelling series Outlander propelled its leading duo into the spotlight with Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe going from virtual unknowns to big names.
The Starz series, which takes its cue from Diana Gabaldon’s novel series, focuses on star-crossed lovers Jamie (played by Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Balfe).
Key to both the TV series and indeed the story is the relationship between Jamie and Claire as it’s the glue holding everything together.
Addressing the chemistry between Outlander’s lead stars, Davis said at The Women of Outlander ATX TV Panel recently: “Obviously everyone knows we cast Sam first and we had a very hard time finding our Claire.
“But I remember talking to [producer] Ron [D. Moore] in our offices in Scotland and saying if this pairing – if we don’t hit this one out the park we might as well not make the show because it’s so important and when we saw Caitríona’s tapes we were like, ‘Ding, ding, ding, ding, we’ve seen so many.’
“But I think when we saw them together in Los Angeles, I remember it like it was yesterday, the chemistry was there and they’ve always – and they can speak to this more than I can – but 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 went on to say: “We’ve always hoped that they would stay that way and that they would continue that friendship and it has and it’s grown.
“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.”
Balfe, who was also on the panel, commented on how she and Heughan had made a pact while working on season one of the show to always have each other’s backs.
“Weirdly, like we’ve never had a falling out. We’ve definitely irked each other,” Balfe said.
Continuing: “I think it was a very conscious decision in the beginning.”
Balfe also said how they had “similar personalities” and a strong work ethic and liked to be “prepared” but also “not take ourselves too seriously”.
The star concluded: “But as our lives have gotten more complicated and busy, we may not see each other as much as we used to but that core and that friendship and that base that we have has never changed.”
