The Cut Movie Star Caitríona Balfe on Creating Her Character’s Backstory & Exploring Important Themes

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In this fresh new movie titled “The Cut“, Orlando Bloom plays Boxer, a tired and diminished boxer nearing the end of his career, seeking a means to reignite both his profession and aspirations. Joining forces with his partner Caitríona Balfe’s character, Caitlin, they must exert more effort than ever before in order to shed the pounds necessary for Boxer to compete in his comeback match within the right weight class. However, when John Turturro’s character Boz comes into play to assist with even swifter weight loss, things begin to spiral out of control rapidly.

In a conversation, Russ Milheim from TopMob chatted with Caitríona Balfe, the leading actress in The Cut, about the process she went through to develop Caitlin’s history, much of which remains unseen in the film.

Balfe revealed that she relished developing the character of “a woman born and raised in an urban environment, specifically from Ballyfermot in Dublin.” Regarding Caitlin’s background, the actress pointed out that her family had a boxing history but Caitlin was one of many brothers. She added that Caitlin’s father didn’t acknowledge her potential in boxing, and it was an activity she found appealing.

According to Balfe, if Caitlin had grown up just 10-15 years later, her life might have taken a significantly different path. This is because she would have entered the world of women’s boxing at a time when opportunities were more abundant, and she likely would have excelled in it.

Balfe explained that Caitlin had experienced a challenging phase in her life involving drugs, but by the time the audience encounters her, she has undergone some recovery. Now, Caitlin cherishes her life with Bloom’s Boxer and adores co-owning a gym with the man she loves while training children. In simpler terms, Caitlin is grateful for her life, enjoys working alongside her beloved partner in Bloom’s Boxer gym, and takes pleasure in teaching kids.

In this interaction, TopMob spoke extensively with Caitríona Balfe, a renowned actress famous for her work in the series “Outlander.” The film “The Cut” is set to premiere in cinemas on September 5, 2025.

The Cut Star Caitríona Balfe on Creating Caitlin’s Backstory

“She Had Come From a Boxing Family, But She Had a Lot of Brothers.”

  • TopMob: “Orlando Bloom’s Boxer may be a competent fighter, but Caitlin seems to be able to handle herself pretty well. What was her life like before meeting him, and would you say she’s kind of happy with their life together and the sacrifices she may have had to make to get there?”

One of the wonderful aspects of working on this project, or any film for that matter, is fleshing out your character’s history. For Caitlin, it was an exciting process. I had the opportunity to bring to life a woman who hails from an urban area; specifically, we chose Ballyfermot in Dublin as her hometown. If anyone from Dublin listens and finds that the accent doesn’t match Ballyfermot, my apologies…

From my perspective, she hailed from a family deeply rooted in boxing, with numerous brothers to boot. Her father, unfortunately, never recognized her potential in boxing, despite her passion for it. I believe that if she had grown up even a decade or two later, her life would have significantly altered. This is because she would have found a place in women’s boxing and excelled in it.

In simpler terms, she didn’t have a suitable outlet or place to belong in inner city Dublin during that time, which led many individuals into drug use and a difficult lifestyle. However, when we encounter her, she has made significant progress in recovery. In the initial scenes, she is training with Boxer and others at the gym, but there are still elements of controlling her food intake and complex relationships with food and control.

It seems to me that she genuinely cherishes this lifestyle. Not only does she enjoy co-owning the gym with her beloved partner, but also training children. This activity brings her immense joy and fulfillment, and it’s truly devastating when it’s insufficient for him.

It appears that she really embraces this lifestyle. She finds great pleasure in running the gym alongside the man she adores and nurturing young athletes. It’s deeply saddening when such passion fails to meet his expectations.

Caitríona Balfe on the Difficulties of Tough Love in Life

“Tough Love Is Really Hard. It’s a Really Hard Lesson to Dole Out In Life.”

  • TopMob: “I wanted to talk about the importance of helping those close to you, but more importantly, when it’s okay and the right choice to walk away from someone who needs more help than you can give. What was it like exploring that question so deeply here, and how you may have utilized your own life experiences through your performance?”

Caitríona Balfe: It’s unusual for someone not to encounter or not find people with addictions in their life throughout their journey. Personally, I’ve learned about the complexities of loving someone deeply, thinking you’re making the right decisions, only to discover that you might be unintentionally supporting and reinforcing harmful behaviors instead.

Showing Tough Love can be incredibly challenging. It means providing a difficult lesson in life, which may involve causing someone pain, even though you deeply care about them. The other option is to step aside, but that too comes with its own set of difficulties. I believe making such a decision is particularly tough for Caitlin.

She realizes that Boxer embarking on this journey is essential for him to understand it’s not the solution, yet she fears if she isn’t initially by his side, he might not succeed. Prior to Boz’s arrival, she believes she can handle and support him through this situation.

Perhaps you might rephrase it as follows:

“Maybe she too is a person with her own struggles, with desires that she seeks to fulfill. In an ideal scenario, both of them would triumph, wouldn’t they? She could achieve her goals and they could share in the victory together. However, once Boz enters the picture, things inevitably take a turn for the worse.

The entire interview can be viewed below:

In the past, TopMob had a conversation with Orlando Bloom, who plays a key role in “Deep Cover” produced by Amazon Studios, as reported by The Cut.

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2025-08-27 21:20