Outlander’s Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) may be beautiful but they are both in their fifties now in Outlander, giving viewers a perspective of a relationship that has spanned decades.
This is most often not the norm in TV land where younger couples and early love in relationships are explored more than in established ones — or, at least, when it comes to the main characters in television shows.
Now, Caitriona Balfe has spoken out about her character’s mature relationship and how it has changed over the years.
Jamie turned 50 in Season 5
While Claire met Jamie in her twenties back in Season 1 of Outlander, Jamie celebrated his fiftieth birthday in Season 5 of the hit historical time-traveling drama series.
That made Claire approximately 55 at that point in the TV show. Now that Season 6 of Outlander has concluded Jamie will now be approximately 55 and Claire 60, using the book series by Diana Gabaldon as a reference point.
This means that Outlander has been following their love story for decades now, which Balfe thinks is a wonderful achievement.
“It’s beautiful. I think it’s really nice to be playing this couple that has so much history and has so much understanding of each other and has weathered so many storms together,” Balfe recently told Awards Daily.
Outlander is the ‘story of marriage’
While fans of Outlander have always been thirsty for Jamie and Claire’s love story, the author of the book series has always planned to tell the “story of marriage,” according to Balfe.
“Diana [Gabaldon] was always telling the story of a marriage. Falling in love was just the very beginning; it’s staying in love and it’s keeping the love ignited that is the real story.”
And, because of this, what viewers see on the screen now — as opposed to back in Season 1 — is dramatically different thanks to the age of their marriage.
“We talk a lot with the writers about: what is the difference between a couple that’s been together for so many years and yet they still have passion, but it can’t be the same as it was in young love,” Balfe explained. “It has to evolve and it has to deepen and it has to change and morph into other things.”
On top of this, Balfe also revealed that her relationship with co-star Sam Heughan has also developed over the years, almost like a marriage, as well. Although, in real life, the pair have always maintained a platonic friendship and Balfe recently welcomed her first child with her husband, Tony McGill.
“Sam and I have such a shorthand with each other,” Balfe revealed.
“We’ve been through so much together. I think we have such an understanding of each other, and that’s helped so much with playing this couple that has life between them.”
Outlander has been renewed for Season 7, but the premiere date has not yet been advised.