The One Line From Outlander Books Caitriona Balfe 'Struggled' With

Summary

• The writers of Outlander stay true to the source material and translate even the smallest details to the small screen.
• As a result, the actors have to portray every aspect of their characters, but for Caitriona Balfe, Claire's favorite phrase proved to be incredibly difficult.
• However, this is not the only challenge the actress faced during filming.

Let's face it, we love Outlander for a lot more than just the captivating atmosphere that Diana Gabaldon and the screenwriters who have adapted her novels have given us. Nor is their love of historical accuracy the main reason the franchise has such a huge fan base.

Jamie and Claire, their steamy dynamics and love for each other that literally transcend time and space are what make Outlander so appealing! And of course, their charm is only enhanced by the powerful performances of Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe.

But Outlander fandom has been around much longer than the Starz show: fans have known Claire for over 30 years, as the first novel in the series was published back in 1991. In that time, fans of the most charismatic Scottish military nurse have memorized many of her signature phrases. But adapting a book narrative is not always an easy task, as evidenced by a notable moment related to Caitriona Balfe.

As it turns out, there is one of Claire's essential lines that the actress had a lot of trouble with.

Claire's Favorite Catch Phrase

Both fans of the books and now fans of the show will recall Claire's fondness for the phrase 'Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ.' The early books explain that she learned it from an American soldier from New York named Williamson, who uttered it every time Claire changed his bandages. Since then, the phrase has stuck with Claire herself, literally becoming her trademark as she repeated it whenever she felt frustrated.

Of course, the use of this line in the show proved to be an excellent indicator of how faithful the writers were to their source material. However, the adaptation process involves a number of creative changes, depending on the perceptions of both the writers and the actors playing the roles. It is quite possible that the line would not have appeared in the show at all if Balfe had not been able to find the right approach to it.

Caitriona Balfe Wrestled with This Crucial Line

This is what actor Tobias Menzies, who played Jonathan Randall, told the Express.

'There were some quite overt direct speeches in the novel, which can be quite bumpy,' he shared. 'An example is Claire's "Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ" which obviously all the fans are obsessed with.'

The actor revealed that Balfe wasn't sure how to implement the line in her iteration of the character, but according to Menzies, that's what adapting book narratives is all about.

'But I know Cat spent a lot of time going "I don't know how to make this work for me". She really wrestled with it. And that's part of the adaptation process.'

It Wasn't the Only Time Balfe Struggled

However, this is far from the only tough moment the actress has had to deal with.

'There's a scene, there's a sequence of scenes that were really, really challenging. I think my [low point] was trying to figure out how we were going do it and it was really tough,’ the actress said in June 2023.

'It was also a tough time personally because it was not that long after my dad had passed and it was a very hard thing to sort of get myself into the headspace for and there was a big struggle about how we were going to do it.'

Many fans have speculated that this is due to the terrible news Claire receives upon her return to America in the upcoming Season 7: Together with Lord John, Claire learns that the ship on which Jamie followed her to America has sunk, leaving no survivors.

The second part of Outlander Season 7 will be released sometime in 2024.

Source: Express, Express.