Caitriona Balfe

Caitriona Balfe was an Irish model turned actress whose roles in Hollywood films built momentum as quickly as her international career in the fashion industry. Her first onscreen appearance was a small but significant part in a high-profile film, J.J. Abrams' tribute to 1980s-style blockbusters "Super 8" (2011). Her best-known role was that of heroine Claire in the fantasy TV series "Outlander" (Starz 2014-). Based on the series of young adult fantasy novels by Diana Gabaldon, "Outlander" was about a British nurse from the 1940s transported to mid-18th century Scotland, where she falls for a young Scottish warrior. Born in the Irish town of Monaghan, Balfe was studying acting at Dublin Institute of Technology in the country's capital city when she was spotted by a fashion talent scout while collecting for charity in the street. Entering the modeling industry at the age of 19, she was photographed by and performed runway shows for many major fashion brands, and appeared on several on magazine covers. Her other screen roles included a small part in the crime caper "Now You See Me" (2013) and the role of the CIA agent who arranges Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger's imprisonment in the action thriller "Escape Plan" (2013). Following her success in "Outlander," Balfe returned to the big screen in a supporting role in Jodie Foster's thriller "Money Monster" (2016), starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts.