"I feel like they should have been nominated."
The 'Belfast' star picked up a Supporting Actress nomination yesterday for her role as Ma in Kenneth Brannagh's 'Belfast'.
Caitríona Balfe was nominated during the SAG Awards live stream for her upcoming release in cinemas, 'Belfast'. However, her two co-stars, who were tipped to each also get themselves a nomination, failed to make the cut.
Balfe, speaking with Deadline after the nominations were revealed by hosts Rosario Dawson and Vanessa Hudgens, admits that she feels both Jamie Dornan and Ciarán Hinds "should have" received recognition for their respective roles as Pa and Pop.
She said: "I thought they had such a good chance. I feel like they should have been nominated, but we’re all just really excited about the ensemble."
Texting with Dornan before the announcements, Caitríona Balfe said he was "super excited" to see the SAG Awards nominees.
However, it's not all bad news for the Irish actors, as 'Belfast' was nominated for Best Motion Picture Cast Ensemble. They'll be up against the cast of Apple TV+'s 'CODA', Netflix's 'Don't Look Up', MGM's 'House of Gucci' and Warner Bros' 'King Richard'.
Balfe also said she was excited for what other opportunities might come her way following her nomination. She continued: "I think with anything like this, you just want an opportunity to be put on the list for other stuff, right? I’ve been so lucky thus far in my career."
The Irish actor has starred in 'Outlander' as Claire Randall since 2014. With season six due to be released later this year, she also teased that the drama series could continue past season seven. She's also starred in 'Ford v. Ferrari', 'Now You See Me' and was also the voice of Tavra in Netflix's 'The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'.
Balfe's first Supporting Actress nod will see her placed in the same category as another Irish contender, Ruth Negga, who was nominated for her role in 'Passing'. Both Irish stars will compete against Cate Blanchett for 'Nightmare Alley', Ariana DeBose for 'West Side Story' and Kirsten Dunst for 'The Power of the Dog'.
The Irish star joined Stephen Colbert last night to talk about the joys of being a mother, as well as how she felt being part of the story of 'Belfast'.
The 2022 SAG Awards will be presented on February 27 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.