After eight seasons as Claire Fraser on Outlander, Caitríona Balfe was ready to hang up her corsets. The actress, who first stepped into the role in 2013 and wrapped the series in September 2024, was determined to explore new creative territory. So when her team first pitched her a Jane Austen adaptation, her reaction was immediate: "I said no more corsets or period dramas."
But Sense and Sensibility wasn't just any period piece. The 2026 film, directed by Georgia Oakley, is the latest take on Austen's beloved debut novel, following in the footsteps of Ang Lee's 1995 Oscar-winning adaptation starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. The pressure was immense, but Balfe found herself drawn to the project for one key reason: Oakley.
Speaking with Collider at the film's London premiere, Balfe explained how her initial hesitation melted away once she learned who was at the helm. "I had seen Blue Jean, and I loved that film so much," she said, referring to Oakley's critically acclaimed 2022 debut. "I thought what she had done with that film was kind of astounding. As a first film, it was so assured. It was so powerful and emotionally deft."
That confidence only grew when Balfe finally met Oakley. "The minute I met her and the minute she started talking about what she wanted to do with this film, the kind of adaptation she wanted to make, she showed me some inspirational stills, which was stuff that I have loved and flagged, and I was just fully on board," Balfe recalled. "I think when you meet somebody who has a specific artistic vision, you can tell. You're like, 'Oh, this is going to be your vision,' and that is, to me, what you need. You're an auteur, and so I want to help facilitate that."
For Balfe, taking on the role of Mrs. Dashwood was a fresh challenge. She deliberately avoided revisiting previous adaptations to keep her performance untainted. "I'm glad I hadn't seen the previous adaptations for a long time," she said. "I don't want to be influenced." Instead, she found her anchor in Diana Reid's script, particularly a line about Mrs. Dashwood's optimism. "There's a tendency to read Mrs. Dashwood as quite silly and frivolous," Balfe noted, "but Georgia was like, 'She's not frivolous,' and that her and Marianne have that same kind of freedom and wildness."
As she delved deeper, Balfe came to see Mrs. Dashwood as "a very benevolent, optimistic hippie." She elaborated: "She'd be like, 'Sure, girls, whatever you want to do!' But it was that optimism that I held on to, and I was like, 'That's my guide for whatever I'm playing.'" This interpretation gave the character a fresh depth, especially in a pivotal scene where that optimism is tested. "She just believes that it's all going to turn out okay," Balfe said.
The film, which has already earned praise as a masterpiece of adaptation, is now in theaters. For Balfe, it marks a triumphant return to the genre she thought she'd left behind—but with a director who made it feel brand new. As she put it, "If you're going to lead us on this journey, I'm with you."
For more from Balfe, including her full Ladies Night interview, check out the video above. And if you're craving more Austen-inspired drama, don't miss our exclusive clip of Marianne taking on Colonel Brandon.
