Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe 2018: Actor Thought 7 Seasons of ‘Outlander’ Was Impossible

Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe are both signed to work on the TV series “Outlander” beyond season 4. And, recently, the actor admitted that he initially did not think the series would go on for as long as seven seasons.

Radio Times reported that Heughan and Balfe actually signed contracts for the TV show for at least seven seasons even before they started working on the first one. While they are both grateful since the beginning, the actor admitted, “When you get given a contract, they say it’s an American TV [series] and you say: ‘How many, seven seasons? Yeah of course. It’s never going to happen.'”

Caitriona Balfe, on the other hand, also recalled that signing for a work eyed to last for seven years before production even commenced seemed “just a concept” to her. “Because how often does a show go past one season? Or sometimes it doesn’t even get to finish a season,” Sam Heughan’s co-star added.

While they were both reasonably uncertain with “Outlander’s” fate on TV, Balfe added that “it’s been only positive” before adding that the show also led to more opportunities for her and Heughan. The actress, who started out as a fashion model, recalled that she used to work on one set for just a couple of days before moving on to a new project. But filming “Outlander” has required her to stay in Scotland for almost an entire year.

There is no doubt that the Heughan and Balfe will always be best known as Jamie Fraser and Claire Fraser. But the actress reiterated that these roles have given them a lot more opportunities to the point that she needed to “let go” of some work offers.

The fourth season of “Outlander” premiered last Nov. 4 and the characters of Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe are in love to one another more than ever. Fans will also be happy to know that there will be less separation by time happening in season 4. New episodes of “Outlander” air every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on Starz.