OUTLANDER star Caitriona Balfe has revealed her frustrations with production during season-six of the show, which is due to be released this spring.
Balfe, who plays time-travelling Claire Fraser in the hit Starz programme, opened up about an issue she experienced during filming for the highly-anticipated new season in an interview with Vanity Fair.
The actress and former model gave the interview ahead of the release of Kenneth Branagh’s film Belfast, a coming-of-age comedy-drama set in the city during the late 1960s.
Jude Hill, Lewis McAskie and writer/director Kenneth Branagh on the set of the film Belfast
Balfe, who was born and raised in Ireland, stars as Ma in the award-nominated film, due for release in the UK and Ireland later this month.
The star – who is up for the Best Supporting Actress award at Monday’s Golden Globes – was asked by the magazine what she plans to do after Outlander. The series is approaching its 10-year anniversary.
Balfe said she hopes to direct, and has approached the Outlander production team with little success.
“It’s something I’ve been talking about doing on the show. It’s falling a little on deaf ears,” she explained.
The actress said she was supposed to get a directing opportunity during season six, but due to the pandemic, her leading role and her pregnancy, it didn’t work out.
With season seven production quickly approaching, Balfe said she’s yet to hear anything further about the opportunity.
“It would’ve been the perfect chance for me in a very safe space,” she said.
“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.”
Balfe also expressed another frustration with the Outlander set, which came up after her time filming Belfast.
During the production of the film, the actress realised there was a significant number of women involved on the crew – something she claims isn’t apparent on Outlander.
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She told Vanity Fair she and co-star Sam Heughan raised the issue with the team two years ago, urging executives to bring in a more diverse crew.
“I think on one hand there’s sort of this idea, ‘Well, Scotland’s a very predominantly white place and it’s an industry that traditionally is much more male-skewed, so it’s tough to find these people,’” she noted. However, Balfe went on: “I’m not sure that’s necessarily true. I think there’s ways of finding people to bring in.”
Outlander season six returns to Starz on March 6. Belfast premieres in UK cinemas on January 21.
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