Born in Dublin in 1979, Outlander star Caitriona Balfe always planned to be an actor, studying drama at the Dublin Institute of Technology.
But at the age of 18 she was scouted by an modelling agent at the age of 18 while collecting charity money at a supermarket and quickly became successful – closing fashion shows around the world for the likes of Chanel, Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino, Alberta Ferretti and Louis Vuitton.
A minor role in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada saw her return to acting and she moved to LA in 2009 to focus on her first love, winning parts in films including Super 8, Now You See Me, and Escape Plan.
Global fame beckoned when she signed up to play Claire Fraser in the Starz historical drama series Outlander in 2014. Since then the six series of the hit show filmed in Scotland have earned her a British Academy Scotland Award, an Irish Film and Television Award, two People's Choice Awards, three Saturn Awards, two Critics' Choice Television Awards nominations, and four Golden Globe Awards nominations.
Here are 13 interesting quotes from her many interviews.
5. Caitriona Balfe on...loss
"How do people move on after they've lost the love of their life? It's a really interesting thing to look at. It happens to people every day: you see people... even in the worst, most war-torn places, people get up and continue with their lives. And it's a fascinating thing about human nature. That ability to just continue on." Photo: Jeff J Mitchell
6. Caitriona Balfe on...modelling
"Modelling wasn't a passion of mine, so that made it get old kind of quickly. I was getting very frustrated." Photo: Momodu Mansaray
7. Caitriona Balfe on...sleep
"For me, if I have the choice between an extra 45 minutes in bed or getting up at 4:30 A.M. to go to the gym, I will always choose bed." Photo: Paul Archuleta
8. Caitriona Balfe on...progress
"The people who used to hold the purse strings were a select group of white, middle-aged men, but that's changing, and the more it continues to change, the more we'll see inclusive stories get told." Photo: Phillip Faraone