Here is a NEW Interview with Caitriona Balfe from Entertainment Weekly
FROM EW:
Nothing soothes like a mother’s love, and Caitríona’s Balfe‘s impassioned portrayal of a devoted mama bear protecting her family amid social upheaval in Kenneth Branagh‘s Belfast (in theaters Nov. 12) serves as both a balm and a testament to the scars of her homeland’s bitterly divided past.
EW’s The Awardist recently caught up with the 41-year-old Outlander star (and new mother of one) out of the Toronto International Film Festival, where her turn in Branagh’s semi-autobiographical account of Ireland’s violent, three-decade sectarian conflict received standout reviews at the top of Oscars season. Below, Balfe breaks down how she fused personal history with Branagh’s heartfelt story, preparing to dance a sweet jig with costar Jamie Dornan for one of the film’s most touching scenes, and the catharsis of honoring of Ireland’s lives “destroyed by this ridiculous sectarianism and ideology.”
More after the jump!
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Congratulations on the new baby!
CAITRÍONA BALFE: Thank you. I’m sleep-deprived, but cuddles make up for it!
Motherhood is a lovely segue into Belfast, because the maternal strength and heart you bring to this role is so moving. What were your initial conversations like with Kenneth?
He sent me the script before we’d spoken. It’s so full of heart, I got emotional reading it. As I said to him the first time we spoke, Ma just felt so familiar to me. You can’t help but think about your own childhood, your own mother. It touched me.
Did you have conversations with his family?
Ken’s parents unfortunately have passed, but his brother and sister make cameos in the film. I didn’t talk to them beforehand, but we met them during filming. Ken used so many of the crew he works with time and time again. It was a small crew in this bubble, I was in a hotel with the kids and their moms, so it had a family feel anyway!
Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast” got a lot of praise at the TIFF – hope it gets an Oscar. From the short over view, it appears to be a refreshing change from the type of movies being put out at the moment. It will be awesome to watch Caitriona in “Belfast”.