“It’s Important to Wait for the Right Role” – Her.ie Meets Irish Actress Saoirse Ronan

Saoirse Ronan is only 20 years old but she has already been nominated for an Oscar and appeared alongside some of the biggest names in film. Last month she launched the inaugural NPAS and Cinemagic Industry Film Academy for 12-18 year olds as part of Cinemagic Dublin 2015. We caught up with the young actress to find out about waiting for the right roles and delving into writing...

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Cinemagic I’ve been involved in Cinemagic since I was 15 which I only realised today is quite a long time! I’ve grown up with the programme and with some of the workshops and Q&As, I get an awful lot out of it. Just being around kids who are so sincere about their love for film, it really reboots your passion and excitement for it. That’s always been great for me. It’s about nurturing talent and skill in filmmaking for kids. The reason why it’s so important is they’re children and it’s good to be in an environment where that’s being nurtured and you’re being respected. It’s a really great thing for a kid to have. I had it growing up and it only made me stronger as a person. Saoirse rose to fame in Atonement.   The Right Role So far this year, I haven’t found the right thing. I’m 21 now and it’s a tricky age to find the right role for you because you’re kind of somewhere around that coming-of-age girl and a young woman, especially when you’ve started out at such a young age. It can be difficult to prove to people that you’re not 13 anymore. There’s been a bit of a process but there’s a lot of roles out there that just aren’t really interesting. I think it’s important to wait for the right role. It’s hard to have that balance between steady work, if you’re lucky enough to have it, and waiting for the right stuff to come along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ngDiG9V8w The trailer for Lost River.   Women in Film There are very stereotypical roles out there for women but I think it is starting to change with things like Girls and SNL as women are such a huge part of that force. I think there’s so many of us that we need to make a change and push for more interesting female roles. One of the things that I think is exciting about Brooklyn and why I’m so passionate about it is that it’s a film that’s really focused on women and their relationships with each other and how they help each other. There are so many scenes with just women in them and there’s not a man there as a crutch. Not that that’s a bad thing - it’s great to have a dynamic between a man and a woman on screen - but there have been so many films with female heroines but everyone else around them is a man. Brooklyn is based on the novel by Colm Tóibín.   Writing I would write something but it wouldn’t come as naturally to me as some people. I just don’t think I’ve delved into it enough but I would like to do it. I always thought I’d need to have more life experience before I was able to write something honest. For so long, even though I’ve had a great childhood, I was always away working and that’s not very relatable for a lot of people my age. The actress with Susan Sarandon.  

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