Caitríona Balfe reveals how they kept 'Outlander' ending top secret

Caitriona Balfe, who plays Claire in 'Outlander,' reveals the show filmed dummy scenes to keep the ending a secret and shares her emotional goodbye to the character.

Time traveling, kilts, passion – “Outlander” has had it all through its 11-plus years. The show introduced us to Caitríona Balfe, an Irish actress who was struggling to stay in the business when she landed the part of Claire Beecham, the smart, brave and deeply human WWII nurse who falls in love with the sexy, wounded, fiercely loyal 18th century Highland warrior Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughen. Together, Balfe and Heughen launched countless memes and rewatches of that wedding scene, a ratings juggernaut for Starz, and a new spinoff, "Blood of My Blood." As season 8 prepares to kick off on March 6, Balfe, 46, reveals what it’s like to say goodbye. 

This has been 11 years, and a one-of-a kind love story. When you signed on for this role, did you ever expect this was the journey you would go on? 

Caitríona Balfe: Oh my God, no. It's so hard to even put myself back in those shoes, but I remember I was a struggling actor in L.A. I was just trying to get any job at all. I was like, oh, this would be the most incredible job. But my lawyer emailed me and he was like, ‘This would be a year in Scotland.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, a year in Scotland, that sounds kind of nice. My family's not far. I have a friend there.’ And then your whole life changes, and it's been the most incredible magical ride. 

When did you read the script for the final season?

Balfe: Normally, Sam and I would get an overview of the season before it starts. And then this season, (executive producer and showrunner) Matt (Roberts) kept his cards very close to his chest, so we were only getting the information as the scripts were being handed out. So we never really knew what our character's journey was going to be, or what was going to happen. … I knew there was stuff in it that wasn't going to be filmed, or that wasn't actually how it was going to end. So I still do not really know how it ends. Matt had put some dummy things in, because he didn't want it to leak.