'Outlander' season 3 spoilers, news: Sam Heughan admits he's missing Caitriona Balfe as they shoot separate scenes

A promotional image from "Outlander" Starz

The production of "Outlander" season 3 remains underway, but male lead Sam Heughan shared a few insights about filming the new episodes of the show.

Heughan sat down with Vanity Fair to talk about the upcoming changes in his character Jamie Fraser's life when the historical fantasy drama returns for season 3. According to the actor, the characters of the series will have a significant aging process to keep up with the timeline of Diana Gabaldon's book saga where the TV series is based from. "There was definitely a different look to the characters, but you'll have to tune in to find out, I guess," the Scottish actor stated.

The actor also revealed that he had a difficulty working on the set of "Outlander" season 3 since he and co-star Caitriona Balfe had to work apart for most of the season. "Honestly, it's like having a death in the family," Heughan stated.

At the end of season 2, Jamie was left in the 1700s while he sent Balfe's character, Claire, to her own time, the 1940s, to save her and their still unborn child from dangers during the epic Battle of Culloden. This means that a lot of their scenes for season 3 were shot separately.

According to the actor, working without Balfe was hard because she was a great actress to work with. However, he also revealed that he is looking forward to working with her once Jamie and Claire reunite in the upcoming season. "It should be very special," the actor stated.

Rumors about Heughan and Balfe's real-life relationship continue to persist despite the constant denial from both actors.

In a recent interview posted on the print edition of Vanity Fair Italia that was translated by a fan on Tumblr, Balfe reiterated that she and Heughan are great friends, and the dating rumors are simply not true.

Starz is expected to air the third season of "Outlander" sometime in 2017.

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