Casting Claire Fraser in Outlander wasn’t going to be easy, and it proved to be the most difficult casting at the start of the series. Who did land the role in the end?
When Ron D. Moore decided to bring Outlander to life, he knew that casting Claire and Jamie was always going to be important. He also knew there was a risk of not getting the casting right. In the end, casting Jamie was relatively easy. It was casting Claire that was the most difficult part of the entire casting.
In the end, Claire was the last character in the first season to be cast. Who landed the iconic role?
Caitriona Balfe is Claire Fraser in Outlander
As we know now, it was Caitriona Balfe who landed the role of Claire Beauchamp Fraser in Outlander. There was almost a risk that she wouldn’t get the role due to passport issues.
At the time, Balfe had moved from Belfast, Northern Ireland to Los Angeles, United States. She had sent her passport in for her visa for the country, but then found out she would need to come back to Scotland for the role of Claire. She needed to get the visa office to send her passport back to her, cancelling her visa at the time.
Balfe even almost gave up the role. She didn’t want to play some “nurse” named “Claire.” She hadn’t read the books at the time, so had no idea what to expect. It was her manager who refused to let her give up on this role of a lifetime. What she nearly gave up led to her big break. Thank you, manager!
What did you think of Caitriona Balfe landing the role of Claire in Outlander? Who did you initially imagine in the role? Share your thoughts in the comments below.