Outlander star Caitriona Balfe has made the role of Claire Fraser her own. We look back at her top 10 acting moments on Starz’s time-traveling drama.
Caitriona Balfe’s performance as Claire Fraser on Outlander is a rare treat. I’ve ranted and raved about Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser, but I’d remiss not to give our girl Caitriona Balfe the respect she deserves as well
Balfe encapsulates the essence of Claire Fraser in a way no one else could (or would dare try to). I think most Outlander fans would agree we can’t imagine anyone else taking on this role. Narrowing down her best moments on the show is just as it was for Heughan. Over the course of six seasons, she’s plays a ton of moments that spoke to us, enlightened us, and tore us apart. She was never less than completely dedicated to this character, and her commitment showed on screen.
So I’ll do my best to pick only the best moments. And if you don’t see your favorite Caitriona Balfe moment below, share it in the comments!
10. Episode 404, “Common Ground”: Claire and Adawehi share a moment
Caitriona Balfe’s tends to be at her best when Claire is engaging with other characters. She’s terrific at picking up cues from her fellow performers, and engaging in a dialogue. One such moment I fondly remember is between Claire and a Cherokee healer, Adawehi (Tantoo Cardinal).
Jamie, Claire, and Ian come across the Cherokee while establishing the spot to build their new home (hello, future Fraser’s Ridge). Things are tumultuous at first, but the Cherokee show their respect to Jamie after he kills a man they referred to as Tskili Yona, an evil spirit in the form of a bear.
This leads to Claire meeting Adawehi (who is a version of a character named Nayawenne from the books), the grandmother of the chief. As it turns out, Adawehi had a dream about Claire, prophesying that Claire will have more medicine when her “hair is white like snow.” She also knows something about a death, and it not being Claire’s fault.
That’s a strange, cryptic thing to hear from someone you barely know, but the interaction between Claire and Adawehi always stuck with me. It happens later in the episode, but gives Claire a chance to interact with someone far removed from the life and culture she’s used to.
We’ve always known Claire has a soft, empathetic soul, and Balfe does a terrific job of selling her ability to reach out to people unlike her and connect. It’s an endearing, touching moment.