The Exact Moment Outlander's Caitriona Balfe Knew Sam Heughan Was a "Solid Friend"

Updated on Oct 17, 2017 at 3:35 PM

Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe star together on Outlander, and much like on the show, the two share a close bond off screen as well. While Sam and Caitriona are not dating in real life (Sam is currently romancing actress MacKenzie Mauzy, while Caitriona has been linked to a man named Tony McGill), the pair never miss the opportunity to gush about each other and talk about how much they love working together. Today, we're celebrating their friendship by taking a look back at some of the sweetest things they've said about each other.

Caitriona on Sam

On their close friendship: "I feel very lucky. Sam and I have an amazing bond, we're really great friends."
On what Caitriona likes about Sam: "Sam's just so kind. He's a really good friend. He always checks in. I don't know, he has one of the biggest hearts and smallest egos that I know."
On what she admires about Sam: "Sam is very open to trying anything and I think that's a really good quality. Sometimes I'm a little bit more like, 'No, that won't work,' but he's always the first to be like, 'Let's give it a go and then we'll see.' And I think that that's a great quality."
On the first time she met Sam: "[The chemistry] was quite instantaneous in a sense. When I first met Sam at our chemistry test, which I always think is quite funny, he was the nicest guy and he just put me at ease. I was a little nervous and he's just that kind of solid, grounded guy. We had one day in London and we took this big, long walk in Hyde Park, and it was great. We just talked about our lives and sort of about the characters and what we thought and that day I was like, 'This is going to be great. I feel like I've got a really solid friend and amazing costar.' So, I knew it was going to be good stuff."

Sam on Caitriona

On what it's like working with Caitriona: "It's always hard when we're apart, actually, because she's a great person, great to come to work with, and a very good actress."
On what Sam likes about Caitriona: "She's not only a great actress, she's a great friend, and a great advice giver, too. And we have each other's backs. It's a remarkable journey that we've been on, starting this together, being thrown in the deep end and being like, 'Okay! We're going to do this together.' It's a nice bond and I think people are fascinated by it, in a weird way — I know the fans are. We respect each other and have got each other's backs. I'm very fortunate that we have that, it's great."
On their special bond: "Caitriona and I get on very well, and I'm very lucky. She's extremely talented and an extremely nice person, and we have a lot of fun. Actually, having scenes away from her, and time apart from her, is kind of like losing someone in your family. A loved one. It's very strange, and I don't enjoy it. Whenever we're together it feels right, and I look forward to the days when we get to work together again.
On his first impression of Caitriona: "I just remember we did this scene by the water in season one . . . it got very physical like it tends to on the show and I just remember she was so pissed off with me for putting her in a bear hug."