Caitríona Balfe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Caitríona Balfe
Balfe in 2024
Born	Caitríona Mary Balfe (1979-10-04) 4 October 1979 (age 45) Dublin, Ireland
Alma mater	Dublin Institute of Technology
Occupation	Actress model
Years active	1998–present
Spouse(s)	Anthony McGill ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	1

Caitríona Balfe (born 4 October 1979) is an Irish actress and former model. She started her career as a fashion model in Paris when she was 18. She worked with famous fashion brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton. After about ten years, she decided to become an actress.

Caitríona first became known for her roles in The Beauty Inside (2012) and H+: The Digital Series (2012–2013). She also appeared in movies like Super 8 (2011) and Now You See Me (2013). Her biggest role is playing Claire Fraser in the TV show Outlander (2014–present). This role has earned her four nominations for the Golden Globe Award.

Caitríona Balfe has also been in movies such as Money Monster (2016), Ford v Ferrari (2019), and Belfast (2021). For her acting in Belfast, she was nominated for several awards. These included a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA.

Early Life and Start in Modelling

Caitríona Balfe was born in Dublin, Ireland. She grew up near a village called Tydavnet in a big family. She is the fourth of five children. Her father was a retired police officer.

She went to the Dublin Institute of Technology to study drama. While she was there, a model scout discovered her. She had been collecting money for charity at a shopping centre when she was spotted.

Becoming a Top Model

After modelling in Dublin for a few months, Caitríona got an offer to work in Paris. She was 18 years old when she moved there.

Caitríona became a very successful model. She opened and closed fashion shows for top designers like Chanel and Louis Vuitton. In just three years, she walked in over 250 runway shows. At the peak of her modelling career, she was one of the top twenty most wanted models in the world.

Acting Career

After a decade of modelling, Caitríona decided to follow her dream of acting. In 2009, she moved from New York to Los Angeles. For a year and a half, she focused only on taking acting classes.

Early Film and TV Roles

Caitríona had a small role in the 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada. She played an employee at a magazine.

She appeared in the movie Super 8 as the main character's mother. She was also in Now You See Me and Escape Plan.

In 2012, she played Alex #34 in The Beauty Inside. This was a social film about a man who woke up in a different body each day. She also starred in music videos for artists like Bonobo and Phoenix.

From 2012 to 2013, Caitríona was a main cast member in the web series H+: The Digital Series. She played Breanna Sheehan, an executive at a company that made a computer that connected people to the internet all the time.

Starring in Outlander

Caitríona Balfe at the Outlander premiere in New York (2014)

In September 2013, Caitríona was chosen for the main role in the TV show Outlander. The show is based on books by Diana Gabaldon. It started in August 2014.

In Outlander, Caitríona plays Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser. Claire is a nurse from the 1940s who travels back in time to 18th-century Scottish Highlands. Both the show and Caitríona's acting have received great reviews. Critics have called her "a spirited, principled, genuinely heroic heroine" and "one of the most stunning actresses on television".

Her role in Outlander has brought her many awards and nominations. She won Saturn Awards for Best Actress on Television in 2015 and 2016. She also won a Scottish BAFTA award and an Irish IFTA award for Best Actress. She has been nominated four times for a Golden Globe Award for her work on Outlander.

Recent Film Roles

Caitríona co-starred in the movie Money Monster (2016). In this film, she played the head of public relations for a company. The movie also starred George Clooney and Julia Roberts.

In 2019, she lent her voice to the Netflix fantasy series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. This series was a prequel to the 1982 movie The Dark Crystal.

Also in 2019, Caitríona had a main role in the sports drama film Ford v Ferrari. She played Mollie Miles, the wife of race car driver Ken Miles. This role earned her an IFTA nomination. The movie was very popular and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

In 2021, Caitríona co-starred in Kenneth Branagh's movie Belfast. This film is about growing up in Belfast during difficult times. Her acting in Belfast was highly praised. She received nominations for a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a British Academy Film Award. The film was also nominated for Best Picture at the 94th Academy Awards.

Caitríona Balfe will next appear in the film The Amateur.

Personal Life

Caitríona Balfe lives in London and also in Glasgow when she is filming Outlander. She has lived in many cities around the world for her modelling and acting work. These cities include Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Milan, Hamburg, and Tokyo.

She used to speak her native Irish language fluently and still remembers some phrases. She can also speak French.

On 10 August 2019, Caitríona married her long-time boyfriend, Anthony "Tony" McGill. He is a former band manager and businessman. On 18 August 2021, she announced that they had welcomed their son.

Helping Others

Caitríona is a strong supporter of charity work. In 2014, she became a patron for World Child Cancer. This organization helps children with cancer around the world. In 2016, she visited their facilities in Ghana to meet the children and healthcare staff. By 2017, her fans had raised over £100,000 for the charity. In 2018, she ran the London Marathon and raised over US$41,000 for the organization. She also sells shirts featuring her Outlander character to raise money for World Child Cancer.

She also supports charities that help refugees, like ChooseLove. She has helped raise thousands of dollars to aid refugees globally. Caitríona is also a supporter of environmental charities.

In October 2020, fans started a fundraising project called Project CaiTREEna. They raised money for the environmental charity One Tree Planted to celebrate Caitríona's birthday. With her support, fans raised nearly $50,000 that year. As of 2024, over US$217,000 has been raised, and more than 217,000 trees have been planted worldwide in her honour.

In August 2020, Caitríona launched her own small-batch gin called Forget Me Not. A portion of the money from sales goes to support arts programmes.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

Caitríona Balfe has won many awards for her acting. Here are some of them:

Images for kids

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  Caitríona Balfe at the press conference of Ford v Ferrari (2019)

See also

In Spanish: Caitriona Balfe para niños