By Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
At just age 26,Ā Saoirse RonanĀ has managed to become one of the top Actors of her generation. She got nominated for her first Academy Award at the age of 13 for her work in Atonement. Since then, sheās been nominated three more times.Ā
Her talent is undeniable as seen through the unforgettable mix of characters she’s brought to life on-screen over multiple genres, such as survivorĀ Hanna, homesickĀ Eilis, uninhibitedĀ Lady Bird, and WriterĀ Jo Marsh.
Her latest role has her starring as a grieving CharlotteĀ inĀ Francis Leeās Ammonite. It follows PalaeontologistĀ Mary Anning, played byĀ Kate Winslet, who cares forĀ CharlotteĀ while her husband leaves for work. The two build an undeniable bond and fall in love.Ā
Today, she joined Canadian NovelistĀ Anne T. DonahueĀ for TIFF’s In Conversation Withā¦ Saoirse Ronan.
On where home is to Ronan:
āItās less of a physical location for me. I think thatās always been the case. I have tried to find it in a place or country, but now Iām older and I realize there are a few core people. That is my home.ā.
On becoming an Actor:
āWhen we moved out to Ireland my dad was working on a film and they needed someone and I was added into it. I didn’t really want to do it. I was a quiet kid. It was this weird Art House film where I was half-human and half-clown.Ā *laughs*Ā And I said, āNo, that sounds terrible. I donāt want to do that.ā But he wanted me to. So I did it. I was 6, 7, or 8. From the moment I got on set I really loved it. I really liked the discipline matched with the play aspect.ā.
On when she knew she wanted to be an Actor:
āIt wasnāt until I was 12. It was when I was doing Atonement. I loved that. And I knew that thatās what I wanted to do.ā.
On Brooklyn:
āI was a wreck. An absolute wreck. I was 20, so hormones were all over the place. I moved to London at that time. I did Brooklyn in the middle of that transition. And I went back to where I grew-up. I hadnāt been there in years. It represented a past time in my life that I will always be connected too, but was moving past. I think what made it overwhelming was that it was a severe meeting of two worlds. My home life, where I went to school and wasnāt an Actor. And this new stage in my career which was me starting to lead as a woman, and it was an Irish woman. I was just thinking, āI have to get this right.ā I was completely terrified. I never felt aware of the camera in a negative way or ever felt that it had paralyzed me. But I was feeling like that a lot in Brooklyn. But it ended up being such a special film for me to do. That Film gets to me in a way that nothing else I have done has. It was an honour to tell that story.ā.
On Lady Bird:
āItās not about her [Greta Gerwig] life. But she did grow up in Sacramento and she was in a theatre group. And I think we both wanted to be more like Lady Bird. But we were both more like rule followers. I didnāt mind being influenced by the way [Greta] was. But I couldnāt just carbon copy .
On her Activism:
āI donāt consider myself an Activist. I think it would be unfair for me to say that. We (Actors) are a mouthpiece for the people who actually know what they’re talking about. Thatās how Iāve always felt about. Iāve met a lot of people who support incredible causes and are passionate and hardworking about it. And Iām kind of like everyone else asking, āWhat can I do? What do you need me to do to spread that message further?ā I think there are a lot of people who do far more than I do.ā.
On TimothƩe Chalamet:
ā[In Lady Bird] we only had a few scenes together. I always knew he was special and magnetic. We are very different people and in our approaches to work. I remember we were on the way to set and were talking about our families and normal stuff. We always felt very comfortable with each other. Heās American and European as well. We sort of were able to tap into that. On Little Women, thatās where it felt more like a collaboration. We had these lengthy scenes where we would ebb and flow performance-wise. Heās someone I want to continue to work with.ā.
On Ammonite:
āI think itās a luck of the draw whether you get to work with someone who you click with. Kate and I had met and just got on straight away. I think a big part of that is her because she is friendly and open. One of the good things about the junkets and awards season is getting to meet a lot of wonderful people in the mix of the madness. So, I met her a couple of times doing that stuff. And then this came around and she was a real supporter for me doing it. We were just really lucky we got on straight away. Two women getting to come together, and with more of the intimate scenes and being able to choreograph the love scenes ourselves was great. Especially with Kate.ā.
On taking on so many roles:
āI donāt work as much as other people. Iām at a place at the minute where I donāt need to run into a job just to work. I think because Iāve been doing it for 16 years or more now. Itās very important that I donāt burn out or kind of lose the love for it. Itās important for me to protect the bond with my work that I have.ā.
Our Review for AMMONITE can be found here.
(Photo credit: TIFF)
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