How Little Women star Saoirse Ronan became her generation’s Meryl Streep
The actress was feted for roles in films such as Brooklyn, Lady Bird and Little Women. At 26, she is reckoned to be worth £5million and already has four Oscar nominations under her belt
Actress Saoirse Ronan chuckles as she is asked over and over again how her Irish name is pronounced.
Doing the rounds following one hit movie after another, she says: “It’s Sur-sha, like inertia.”
Inertia... quite ironic really, for the busy Hollywood star who could never be accused of inactivity.
At 26, she is reckoned to be worth £5million and has been hailed as her generation’s Meryl Streep.
With good reason. Saoirse – get it right... Sur-sha – already has four Oscar nominations under her belt.
She was feted for roles in films such as Brooklyn, Lady Bird and Little Women. And with her new movie The French Dispatch out on Friday, she credits her mum for keeping her level-headed and coping with the challenges that Hollywood brings.
Saoirse, who has been acting since she was nine, says: “Hollywood is not a place for children. Maybe not even for adults, sometimes. And even though I never faced any bad situations, I realised early on what it can be like if you don’t have good people to support you and look after you.
“My mother and I are more like best friends. She’s my best mate.
“We’re still very close and she’s always been a role model for me, I’ve so much respect for her sense of dignity and integrity. She was always fiercely protective of my rights. Not in a way where she was mollycoddling me.
“She let me do the work I wanted to do. I admire her greatly and I’ve tried to take after her and bring that same kind of perspective to the way I live and how I treat people.”
After getting her break on Irish television, Saoirse was just 13 when she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her role in Atonement, opposite Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.
She’s also starred in The Lovely Bones, Hanna, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Saoirse was born in the US but raised in Ireland after her parents returned there when she was three.
She now splits her time between Ireland, Los Angeles and London – but the Emerald Isle always lures her back.
She says: “It will always be my home, even if I like to live between one place and another. I was born in New York, then I left for Dublin and then for 12 years the Irish countryside opened its arms to me every time I returned home.
“I like being with my family and Ireland is a place where you can still enjoy the silence and space.
“My parents have taught me to be true to myself and dedicate myself to pursuing the things that are truly meaningful to me. I’ve drawn a lot of strength from my parents and also the support of some good friends.
“Dad started out in theatre in New York. He was a bartender and got discovered by another Irish actor who asked him to audition for a play.
“He is incredibly proud of everything that has happened for me. I feel bad for mum that she is stuck with two actors!”
In The French Dispatch, Saoirse was reunited with renowned director Wes Anderson for a film about US journalists working in 20th century Paris.
Anderson is known for his eccentric films and Saoirse says: “He is very clear about what he wants and you’ll do quite a few takes.
“This is how in tune he is with his own vision and the characters he’s created. You’ll give a performance for a take and he’ll tweak one tiny little thing.
“Every detail is very specific, but it could literally be a gesture of your hand, or how you tilt your head, or the speed of the scene. He’s that masterful when it comes to his scenes, that he tunes into all that stuff. It’s almost like you’re tailoring your character on set.”
She reveals Wes treated the cast to nightly meals, saying: “He’ll throw really lovely dinners at the end of every shooting day.
“And he’ll change for dinner. So, it’s quite a classy affair compared to every other shoot you work on where you just wear North Face all the time.” The film also reunited Saoirse with Lady Bird and Little Women co-star Timothée Chalamet.
She goes on: “It’s lovely working with the same people again because you know how they work and you’ve got a really good rapport with them.
“Timmy and I had loads of scenes in Little Women as opposed to one awkward scene on the bed in Lady Bird. We had loads of fun. It’s amazing we’re not sick of each other yet! We always have fun on set.”
Saoirse has always denied she and Timothée once dated. She told US TV host Ellen DeGeneres: “I don’t know how to date. I’m not into the whole ‘Let’s go out for dinner’.”
Saoirse is now rumoured to be in a relationship with Jack Lowden, her on-screen husband from 2018 film Mary Queen of Scots.
Meanwhile, she has her sights set on two Hollywood goals – creating more roles for teenaged girls and turning her hand to directing. Saoirse is inspired by Greta Gerwig, who directed her so superbly in Lady Bird and Little Women.
She says: “Greta is a brilliant director. Seeing her take on that role as the captain of the ship, and do it so beautifully, has been an inspiration.”
So no rest on the horizon in the immediate future then.
MirrorCeleb