Caitriona Balfe says Matt Damon is a “solid kind of guy”

Irish actress Caitriona Balfe gushed about her "Ford v Ferrari" costar Matt Damon and revealed she does a mean Margaret Thatcher impression.

She is best known, and loved, for her starring role in "Outlander," the super-popular time-traveling series on Starz that will have its fifth season premiere on February 16, but Caitriona Balfe fans who can’t wait till then to see her can check out Ford v Ferrari, currently in theaters.

Newlywed Caitriona – she married music producer (and Irishman) Tony McGill in September – plays the wife of Christian Bale’s character, a race car driver who comes out of retirement for one more big race. Matt Damon is the other star, and Caitriona says he was a blast to work with.

"Matt is the solid kind of guy who is everybody's best friend, a complete people's person. I think everyone just wants to go and have a beer with Matt," Balfe said.

"Carroll Shelby (Damon's character) was the same. He had this integrity, was grounded, and you see all of this in Matt as well. So, yeah, they (Damon and Christian Bale) really were the perfect casting."

Balfe is busy wrapping the new season of "Outlander," so her promo appearances for "Ford v Ferrari" have been limited. She did give an interview to The Times of London and shared an interesting story about a childhood accent she perfected – none other than the one used by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, not the most popular of leaders, especially in Balfe’s homeplace of Monaghan, one of the Irish border counties.

“It’s quite embarrassing, but I used to talk to myself in different accents, and I did a Margaret Thatcher impression, which is odd for a young Irish schoolgirl,” said Balfe, the daughter of an Irish cop.

Cahir O’Doherty reviews Ford v Ferrari in this week’s issue. Putting it mildly, he’s not really impressed.

Here's the trailer: