Caitriona Balfe doesn’t mind old lingerie modelling shots resurfacing: ‘I was damn glad for the work at the time’

Freya Drohan

Despite working with some of the world's brightest stars, Irish actress Caitriona Balfe says her success still takes her by surprise.

Talking to Interview magazine, Balfe laughed that her recent success is a "huge relief".

Caitriona Balfe during 8th Annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - Runway at The New York State Armory in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)

Caitriona Balfe at the The New York State Armory in New York City, New York (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Caitriona Balfe wearing Marc Bouwer Spring 2007 (Photo by Carlo Buscemi/WireImage)

Caitriona Balfe wearing Oscar de la Renta Spring 2004 (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)

Caitriona Balfe wearing Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2006 (Photo by Randy Brooke/WireImage)

Caitriona Balfe wearing Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2005 (Photo by Thomas Concordia/WireImage)

Caitriona Balfe wearing Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2004 (Photo by J. Vespa/WireImage)

Steadily plugging away in her adopted home of Los Angeles for the best part of a decade, the 35-year-old is really coming into her own in 2015.

Caitriona is widely known as the first Irish woman to make it as a Victoria’s Secret model, and she has also walked for brands including Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana.

But, she maintains that her modelling career was more of a distraction. Albeit a lucrative distraction.

"Even though I had an incredible time, and I got to travel the world, it just wasn't what I wanted to do," she admits. "After a while, that gets really old."

Caitriona Balfe at the IFTA Awards 2015 at The Mansion House

Asked about the lingerie photos that still continue to circulate online, she says its part and parcel of the fame game.

"Oh God...I am a product of every experience I've had up to this point, and I'm sure I was damn glad for those two days of work at the time."

Actress Caitriona Balfe attends ELLE's Annual Women in Television Celebration

"It gives my friends something great to flag me off about. For their amusement alone, it was worth it."

Balfe has recently wrapped up filming of ‘Money Monster’ alongside Julia Roberts and George Clooney.

Actress Caitriona Balfe attends the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

In the thriller, she plays a CCO for an investment bank

"You see her coming to terms with, ‘Okay, this is what I'm telling the public, but what's really going on?' So many people are just trying to do a good job every day, and they don't realize the repercussions of what they do for a living,” Balfe says on her character.