Claire Fraser star Caitríona Balfe has addressed a moment she was left gobsmacked during an interview involving her Outlander co-star Sam Heughan.

The 45-year-old acclaimed Irish actress was speaking at the recent ATX TV Festival when she was asked about double standards within the entertainment industry.

The Ford v Ferrari and Belfast actress recalled a painful moment when Heughan, also 43, was quizzed about his appearance.

She told the audience at The Women of Outlander panel: “I have sat on a sofa with him. We were on a morning show and there were two female reporters and they were like, ‘So, what about those assets of yours?’

“I was like, ‘Oh my god, like if I had been asked that by a male reporter not only would I have been shocked but there would have been a s*** show in the press about it.’

Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe spoke about an awkward interview (Image: GETTY)

“They would have been like, ‘How does he ask her about her boobs or whatever?’”

She added: “But this is the thing, we have to also understand if we don’t want that stuff for us then we shouldn’t be those people.”

When asked whether she and her fellow Outlander actresses and their characters received more flak than their male counterparts, Balfe gave a definitive “yes”.

She explained: “I think there is a very different expectation and attitude towards men and women, and we as women are also culpable of that.

Outlander’s Caitriona Balfe called on women to support their fellow females (Image: GETTY)

“I think there’s a lot of double standards in this industry anyway and I think in some ways we’ve got double standards in terms of women – like we’ve changed some things.

“So, it’s not appropriate now for a male journalist to ask a female actress about certain body parts.

“However, as I’ve noticed on the show, some female reporters think it’s absolutely okay to ask male actors that.”

The star went on to say changing the balance in Hollywood and bringing more parity was a hard thing to do and required “awareness”.

Balfe also called on women to spend their money more wisely by going to the cinema and supporting their fellow females in the entertainment industry.

She said people should be asking: “‘Am I supporting the women who made this film or am I supporting whatever I see?’ Sometimes we have to be activists with our coin.”

The star said unless female-led projects were financial successes and supported there was less likelihood they would be made in the future.

Balfe also called on women to spend their money more wisely by going to the cinema and supporting their fellow females in the entertainment industry.

She said people should be asking: “‘Am I supporting the women who made this film or am I supporting whatever I see?’ Sometimes we have to be activists with our coin.”

The star said unless female-led projects were financial successes and supported there was less likelihood they would be made in the future.

SOURCE: express.co.uk