Saoirse Ronan
Encyclopedia
Saoirse Una Ronan (ˈsˠiːɾˠʃə; roughly ; born 12 April 1994) is an Irish film actress. She began her career as a child and came to international prominence in 2007 after co-starring in the film Atonement
, which gained her nominations for a BAFTA
, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
.
Ronan has since appeared in several Hollywood films, including the children's Christmas story The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
(2007), with Tom Berenger and Joely Richardson, the romantic comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman
(2007), the film adaptation
of the science fantasy
Young Adult novel
City of Ember
(2008), Death Defying Acts
(2008), the war drama film
The Way Back
(2010) and Hanna
(2011). She was awarded a Saturn Award
and a second BAFTA Award
nomination for her portrayal in Peter Jackson
's The Lovely Bones
(2009).
, Ireland, having moved there when she was three years old. Ronan is currently home schooled and lives in County Carlow. As a baby, she sometimes accompanied her father on the set when he was working on such films as The Devil's Own
.
Ronan supports the Irish Blue Cross, as the charity had reunited her with her runaway dog Sassie. On her name, she said, "'Searsha' is how Irish people pronounce my first name
, but I would pronounce it 'Sersha,' like 'inertia'. It's Irish
for 'freedom.' I recently found out that my middle name, Una, means 'unity' in Ireland. And I think my last name means 'seal.' So I’m a free, unified seal."
, in the 2003 primetime medical drama The Clinic
and the 2004–2005 mini-serial Proof
.
Ronan auditioned to play Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
, but lost out to Evanna Lynch
.
At the age of twelve, Ronan was asked to attend a casting call for Joe Wright
's 2007 film adaptation
of Ian McEwan
's 2001 novel Atonement
. She auditioned for and won the part of Briony Tallis, an aspiring 13-year-old novelist, who irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit. Starring alongside Keira Knightley
and James McAvoy
, Wright grew more and more impressed with Ronan on-set, who declared her role a "fantastic part [to play]." Budgeted at US$30 million, the film became a financial and critical success, resulting in a worldwide box office total of US$130 million and various awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Film
, Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama, and an 2008 Academy Award nomination for Best Picture
. Ronan herself received rave reviews for her performance, with Ty Burr
of the Boston Globe calling her "remarkable [and] eccentric," and was subsequently nominated for a BAFTA
, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
, ranking her among the youngest persons ever to be nominated for the latter.
Ronan's next film was Amy Heckerling
's often-delayed romantic comedy film I Could Never Be Your Woman
(2007). Initially shot in mid-to fall 2005 in Los Angeles
and London
, the film went straight-to-DVD in the United States and other major market territories after it had struggled to attract financing and several deals disintegrated during its post-production in spite of its budget of US$25 million. In the film, Ronan portrayed the character of Izzie Grossman, the pubescent daughter of a television show screenwriter, played by Michelle Pfeiffer
, who falls for a younger man (Paul Rudd
), while Izzie falls in love for the first time herself. Upon its release, the independent project garnered generally lukewarm reviews, with Joe Leydon
of Varitey
summing it as "a desperately unfunny mix of tepid showbiz satire and formulaic romantic comedy."
In 2008, Ronan starred in both Death Defying Acts
and City of Ember
. In Gillian Armstrong
's supernatural
romantic thriller Death Defying Acts, she played Benji McGarvie, the daughter of an impoverished and uneducated psychic, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones
, who begins a passionate affair with legendary magician Harry Houdini
at the height of his career. Ronan, who had to wear brown makeup and a turban
for her part, was awarded an Irish Film & Television Award for her performance. Released to a mixed reception, the film was not a success at the box office, barely grossing US$8.3 million worldwide. In Gil Kenan
's City of Ember
Ronan starred as Lina Mayfleet, a teenager who must save the people of the fictional underground city named Ember. The fantasy film
, based on the 2003 novel
by Jeanne DuPrau
, received mixed reviews from critics, and grossed US$17 million worldwide, well below its US$55 million budget.
and Stanley Tucci
in Peter Jackson
's The Lovely Bones
(2009), an adaptation of the same-titled book
by Alice Sebold
. In the film, Ronan plays 14-year-old Susie Salmon, who, after being murdered, watches from the "in-between
" as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. Ronan and her family were originally hesitant for Ronan to accept her role in the film because of its subject matter, but agreed after meeting with Jackson, who described her as "just amazing on-screen." The Lovely Bones was released to mainly negative reviews from critics, who criticized the film's story and its message. Praised for the acting however, particularly of Ronan, whose performance Richard Corliss
of Time
commented as "magic," the film garnered various accolades, winning Ronan a Critics' Choice Award, a Saturn Award
and a second BAFTA Award
nomination for her portrayal the following year.
In 2010's The Way Back
, directed by Peter Weir
, Ronan played the character of Irena, a Polish orphan, who joins a group of prisoners who escape from the gulag in Siberia in 1940 and attempt to make a 4,000 mile trek to India. Shot on location in Bulgaria, India and Morocco alongside Jim Sturgess
, Colin Farrell
and Ed Harris
, the war drama film
received generally positive reviews, with The Telegraph
calling it "a journey that feels awful and heroic and unfathomable – and one you’ll want to watch again." Her performance in the film garnered Ronan her fourth Irish Film & Television Award. In 2011, Ronan starred in the title role of the action thriller film Hanna
, which marked her reunion with Atonement director Joe Wright
.
As announced, Ronan has been cast alongside Orlando Bloom
and Imelda Staunton
in the Emma Thompson
-penned Effie Gray
biopic Effie as the title character. However, she was later replaced by Dakota Fanning
. She will play a teen assassin in Geoffrey Fletcher
's directing debut Violet & Daisy
. She will star as Melanie Stryder in Andrew Niccol
's film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer
's novel The Host
, and appear in director Neil Jordan
's adaptation of the play Byzantium.
In November 2011, she was digitally transported back in time to appear in scenes from Once
and My Left Foot
as well as documentary footage on the arrival of John F. Kennedy
at Dublin Airport
and the GAA
All-Ireland finals as a way to to promote the Irish Film Institute Archive Preservation Fund.
Atonement (film)
Atonement is a 2007 British romantic suspense war film directed by Joe Wright. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name by Ian McEwan. The film stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Saoirse Ronan. It was produced by Working Title Films and filmed throughout the summer of 2006...
, which gained her nominations for a BAFTA
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film...
, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
.
Ronan has since appeared in several Hollywood films, including the children's Christmas story The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey is a 2007 British film starring Tom Berenger, Joely Richardson, Luke Ward-Wilkinson, Aran Bell, Benjamin Eli and Saoirse Ronan....
(2007), with Tom Berenger and Joely Richardson, the romantic comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman
I Could Never Be Your Woman
I Could Never Be Your Woman is a 2007 American romantic comedy film directed and written by Amy Heckerling and starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd. The film was released on May 11 in Spain, July 18 in Belgium, September 14 in Brazil, September 20 in Greece and October 19 in Taiwan...
(2007), the film adaptation
City of Ember
City of Ember is a 2008 science fiction-fantasy film based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Jeanne DuPrau. It was directed by Gil Kenan from a screenplay by Caroline Thompson, and stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau and Tim Robbins.-Plot:In the...
of the science fantasy
Science fantasy
Science fantasy is a mixed genre within speculative fiction drawing elements from both science fiction and fantasy. Although in some terms of its portrayal in recent media products it can be defined as instead of being a mixed genre of science fiction and fantasy it is instead a mixing of the...
Young Adult novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
City of Ember
City of Ember
City of Ember is a 2008 science fiction-fantasy film based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Jeanne DuPrau. It was directed by Gil Kenan from a screenplay by Caroline Thompson, and stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau and Tim Robbins.-Plot:In the...
(2008), Death Defying Acts
Death Defying Acts
Death Defying Acts is a 2007 supernatural romantic thriller. The film is a UK-Australian co-production directed by Gillian Armstrong and starring Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It concerns an episode in the life of Hungarian-American escapologist Harry Houdini at the height of his career in...
(2008), the war drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
The Way Back
The Way Back
The Way Back is a 2010 drama film about a group of prisoners who escape from a Siberian Gulag camp during World War II. The film is directed by Peter Weir from a screenplay also by Weir and Keith Clarke, inspired by The Long Walk , a book by Sławomir Rawicz, a Polish POW in the Soviet Gulag. It...
(2010) and Hanna
Hanna (film)
Hanna is a 2011 European-American action thriller film directed by Joe Wright. The film stars actress Saoirse Ronan as the title character with Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett...
(2011). She was awarded a Saturn Award
Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor
The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Performance by a Younger Actor:- References :* , Saturn Awards...
and a second BAFTA Award
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognise an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :...
nomination for her portrayal in Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones (film)
The Lovely Bones is a 2009 American drama film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a film adaptation of the award-winning and best-selling 2002 novel of the same name by Alice Sebold. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon, alongside Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie's parents Jack and...
(2009).
Personal life
Born in New York, Ronan is the only child of Irish parents Monica and Paul Ronan – the latter an actor – who were living in New York at the time. She was raised in County CarlowCounty Carlow
County Carlow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow. Carlow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland, having moved there when she was three years old. Ronan is currently home schooled and lives in County Carlow. As a baby, she sometimes accompanied her father on the set when he was working on such films as The Devil's Own
The Devil's Own
The Devil's Own is a 1997 action thriller movie starring Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Rubén Blades, Natascha McElhone, Julia Stiles and Treat Williams. It was the final film directed by Alan J...
.
Ronan supports the Irish Blue Cross, as the charity had reunited her with her runaway dog Sassie. On her name, she said, "'Searsha' is how Irish people pronounce my first name
Saoirse (name)
Saoirse is an Irish male or female given name meaning "freedom", which became popular in Ireland in the 1920s.Those bearing it include:* Saoirse Ronan , Irish actress* Saoirse Roisin Hill, daughter of Courtney Kennedy Hill...
, but I would pronounce it 'Sersha,' like 'inertia'. It's Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
for 'freedom.' I recently found out that my middle name, Una, means 'unity' in Ireland. And I think my last name means 'seal.' So I’m a free, unified seal."
2003–2008
She made her screen debut on Irish public service broadcaster RTÉRaidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
, in the 2003 primetime medical drama The Clinic
The Clinic (TV series)
The Clinic is an award-winning Irish primetime television medical drama series produced by Parallel Film Productions for RTÉ. It debuted on RTÉ One in 2003 to positive reviews and proved to be one of the network's most popular shows. The show ran for seven seasons between September 2003 to November...
and the 2004–2005 mini-serial Proof
Proof (TV series)
Proof is an Irish television mini-serial co-produced by Subotica for RTÉ in Ireland and TV2 in Denmark. Proof had two season the second season entitled Proof 2.-Production:...
.
Ronan auditioned to play Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Michael Goldenberg and produced by David Heyman and David Barron...
, but lost out to Evanna Lynch
Evanna Lynch
Evanna Patricia Lynch is an Irish actress who rose to prominence playing Luna Lovegood, a supporting role in the Harry Potter film series adapted from the book series of the same name. Lynch was cast as Luna at the age of 14, having previously acted only in school plays...
.
Joe Wright
Joe Wright is an English film director best known for Pride and Prejudice, Atonement and Hanna.-Early life and career:...
's 2007 film adaptation
Atonement (film)
Atonement is a 2007 British romantic suspense war film directed by Joe Wright. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name by Ian McEwan. The film stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Saoirse Ronan. It was produced by Working Title Films and filmed throughout the summer of 2006...
of Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan
Ian Russell McEwan CBE, FRSA, FRSL is a British novelist and screenwriter, and one of Britain's most highly regarded writers. In 2008, The Times named him among their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945"....
's 2001 novel Atonement
Atonement (novel)
Atonement is a 2001 novel by British author Ian McEwan.On a fateful day, a young girl makes a terrible mistake that has life-changing effects for many people...
. She auditioned for and won the part of Briony Tallis, an aspiring 13-year-old novelist, who irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit. Starring alongside Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley born 26 March 1985) is an English actress and model. She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham...
and James McAvoy
James McAvoy
James McAvoy is a Scottish stage and screen actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in 1995's The Near Room and continued to make mostly television appearances until the early 2000s. His notable television work includes State of Play, Shameless, and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune...
, Wright grew more and more impressed with Ronan on-set, who declared her role a "fantastic part [to play]." Budgeted at US$30 million, the film became a financial and critical success, resulting in a worldwide box office total of US$130 million and various awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Film
BAFTA Award for Best Film
This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards...
, Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama, and an 2008 Academy Award nomination for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
. Ronan herself received rave reviews for her performance, with Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Ty Burr has been a film critic for the Boston Globe since 2002 where he reviews films alongside Wesley Morris.Born in 1957, he studied film at Dartmouth College and New York University and has written three books: The Hundred Greatest Movies of All Time, The Hundred Greatest Stars of All Time and...
of the Boston Globe calling her "remarkable [and] eccentric," and was subsequently nominated for a BAFTA
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film...
, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
, ranking her among the youngest persons ever to be nominated for the latter.
Ronan's next film was Amy Heckerling
Amy Heckerling
Amy Heckerling is an American film director, one of the few female directors to have produced multiple box-office hits.-Early life:...
's often-delayed romantic comedy film I Could Never Be Your Woman
I Could Never Be Your Woman
I Could Never Be Your Woman is a 2007 American romantic comedy film directed and written by Amy Heckerling and starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd. The film was released on May 11 in Spain, July 18 in Belgium, September 14 in Brazil, September 20 in Greece and October 19 in Taiwan...
(2007). Initially shot in mid-to fall 2005 in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the film went straight-to-DVD in the United States and other major market territories after it had struggled to attract financing and several deals disintegrated during its post-production in spite of its budget of US$25 million. In the film, Ronan portrayed the character of Izzie Grossman, the pubescent daughter of a television show screenwriter, played by Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
, who falls for a younger man (Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
), while Izzie falls in love for the first time herself. Upon its release, the independent project garnered generally lukewarm reviews, with Joe Leydon
Joe Leydon
Joseph Patrick Michael "Joe" Leydon is an American film critic and historian. A critic and correspondent for Variety and a contributing writer for MovieMaker Magazine, he is the author of Joe Leydon's Guide to Essential Movies You Must See and a contributing critic for Leonard Maltin's Movie...
of Varitey
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
summing it as "a desperately unfunny mix of tepid showbiz satire and formulaic romantic comedy."
In 2008, Ronan starred in both Death Defying Acts
Death Defying Acts
Death Defying Acts is a 2007 supernatural romantic thriller. The film is a UK-Australian co-production directed by Gillian Armstrong and starring Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It concerns an episode in the life of Hungarian-American escapologist Harry Houdini at the height of his career in...
and City of Ember
City of Ember
City of Ember is a 2008 science fiction-fantasy film based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Jeanne DuPrau. It was directed by Gil Kenan from a screenplay by Caroline Thompson, and stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau and Tim Robbins.-Plot:In the...
. In Gillian Armstrong
Gillian Armstrong
Gillian May Armstrong is an award-winning Australian director of feature films and documentaries.- Career :Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Gillian Armstrong grew up in the eastern suburb of Mitcham. She graduated from Swinburne Technical College in 1968 where she studied theatrical costume design and...
's supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
romantic thriller Death Defying Acts, she played Benji McGarvie, the daughter of an impoverished and uneducated psychic, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of...
, who begins a passionate affair with legendary magician Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
at the height of his career. Ronan, who had to wear brown makeup and a turban
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
for her part, was awarded an Irish Film & Television Award for her performance. Released to a mixed reception, the film was not a success at the box office, barely grossing US$8.3 million worldwide. In Gil Kenan
Gil Kenan
Gil Kenan is a British-American-Israeli film director. Kenan received his MFA degree from the UCLA Film School in 2002.-Life and career:...
's City of Ember
City of Ember
City of Ember is a 2008 science fiction-fantasy film based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Jeanne DuPrau. It was directed by Gil Kenan from a screenplay by Caroline Thompson, and stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau and Tim Robbins.-Plot:In the...
Ronan starred as Lina Mayfleet, a teenager who must save the people of the fictional underground city named Ember. The fantasy film
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
, based on the 2003 novel
The City of Ember
The City of Ember is a post-apocalyptic novel by Jeanne DuPrau that was published in 2003. Similar to Suzanne Martel's The City Under Ground published in 1963, the story is about Ember, an underground city that is slowly running out of power and supplies due to its aging infrastructure...
by Jeanne DuPrau
Jeanne DuPrau
Jeanne DuPrau is an American writer, best known for The Books of Ember, a series of novels for young people. She lives in Menlo Park, California.-Home life:...
, received mixed reviews from critics, and grossed US$17 million worldwide, well below its US$55 million budget.
2009–present
In 2009, Ronan appeared alongside Rachel WeiszRachel Weisz
Rachel Hannah Weisz born 7 March 1970)is an English-American film and theatre actress and former fashion model. She started her acting career at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she co-founded the theatrical group Cambridge Talking Tongues...
and Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci is an American actor, writer, film producer and film director. He has been nominated for several notable film awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in The Lovely Bones...
in Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones (film)
The Lovely Bones is a 2009 American drama film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a film adaptation of the award-winning and best-selling 2002 novel of the same name by Alice Sebold. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon, alongside Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie's parents Jack and...
(2009), an adaptation of the same-titled book
The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. The novel received much critical...
by Alice Sebold
Alice Sebold
Alice Sebold is an American novelist. She has published three books: Lucky , The Lovely Bones and The Almost Moon .-Early life:...
. In the film, Ronan plays 14-year-old Susie Salmon, who, after being murdered, watches from the "in-between
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
" as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. Ronan and her family were originally hesitant for Ronan to accept her role in the film because of its subject matter, but agreed after meeting with Jackson, who described her as "just amazing on-screen." The Lovely Bones was released to mainly negative reviews from critics, who criticized the film's story and its message. Praised for the acting however, particularly of Ronan, whose performance Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
Richard Nelson Corliss is a writer for Time magazine who focuses on movies, with the occasional article on music or sports. Corliss is the former editor-in-chief of Film Comment...
of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
commented as "magic," the film garnered various accolades, winning Ronan a Critics' Choice Award, a Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
and a second BAFTA Award
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognise an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :...
nomination for her portrayal the following year.
In 2010's The Way Back
The Way Back
The Way Back is a 2010 drama film about a group of prisoners who escape from a Siberian Gulag camp during World War II. The film is directed by Peter Weir from a screenplay also by Weir and Keith Clarke, inspired by The Long Walk , a book by Sławomir Rawicz, a Polish POW in the Soviet Gulag. It...
, directed by Peter Weir
Peter Weir
Peter Lindsay Weir, AM is an Australian film director. After playing a leading role in the Australian New Wave cinema with his films such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave and Gallipoli, Weir directed a diverse group of American and international films—many of them major box office...
, Ronan played the character of Irena, a Polish orphan, who joins a group of prisoners who escape from the gulag in Siberia in 1940 and attempt to make a 4,000 mile trek to India. Shot on location in Bulgaria, India and Morocco alongside Jim Sturgess
Jim Sturgess
James Anthony "Jim" Sturgess is an English actor and singer-songwriter. His breakthrough role was appearing as Jude in the musical romance drama film Across the Universe .-Early life:...
, Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell
Colin James Farrell is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such film as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T....
and Ed Harris
Ed Harris
Edward Allen "Ed" Harris is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, Radio, The Rock, The Abyss, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, and The Truman Show. Harris has also narrated commercials for The Home Depot and other companies...
, the war drama film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
received generally positive reviews, with The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
calling it "a journey that feels awful and heroic and unfathomable – and one you’ll want to watch again." Her performance in the film garnered Ronan her fourth Irish Film & Television Award. In 2011, Ronan starred in the title role of the action thriller film Hanna
Hanna (film)
Hanna is a 2011 European-American action thriller film directed by Joe Wright. The film stars actress Saoirse Ronan as the title character with Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett...
, which marked her reunion with Atonement director Joe Wright
Joe Wright
Joe Wright is an English film director best known for Pride and Prejudice, Atonement and Hanna.-Early life and career:...
.
As announced, Ronan has been cast alongside Orlando Bloom
Orlando Bloom
Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom is an English actor. He had his break-through roles in 2001 as the elf-prince Legolas in The Lord of the Rings and starring in 2003 as blacksmith Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and subsequently established himself as a lead in Hollywood...
and Imelda Staunton
Imelda Staunton
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton, OBE is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her performances in the British comedy television series Up the Garden Path, the Harry Potter film series and Vera Drake...
in the Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson
Emma Thompson is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. Her first major film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy. In 1992, Thompson won multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the British drama Howards End...
-penned Effie Gray
Effie Gray
Euphemia Chalmers Millais, Lady Millais née Gray, known as Effie Gray, Effie Ruskin or Effie Millais was the wife of the critic John Ruskin, but left her husband without the marriage being consummated, and after the annulment of the marriage, married his protégé, the Pre-Raphaelite painter John...
biopic Effie as the title character. However, she was later replaced by Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
. She will play a teen assassin in Geoffrey Fletcher
Geoffrey S. Fletcher
Geoffrey Shawn Fletcher is an American screenwriter, film director, and adjunct film professor at Columbia University and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in New York City, New York...
's directing debut Violet & Daisy
Violet & Daisy
Violet & Daisy is the first film directed by Geoffrey S. Fletcher. It is about two teenage assassins who accept what they think will be a quick and easy job, until an unexpected target throws them off plan.-Plot:...
. She will star as Melanie Stryder in Andrew Niccol
Andrew Niccol
Andrew M. Niccol is a New Zealand screenwriter, producer, and director. He wrote and directed Gattaca, S1m0ne, In Time, and Lord of War. He also wrote and co-produced The Truman Show, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay in 1999 and won a BAFTA award for Best...
's film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer is an American author known for her vampire romance series Twilight. The Twilight novels have gained worldwide recognition and sold over 100 million copies globally, with translations into 37 different languages...
's novel The Host
The Host (novel)
The Host is a science fiction/romance novel by Stephenie Meyer. The novel introduces an alien race, called Souls, which takes over the Earth and its inhabitants. The book describes one Soul's predicament when the mind of its human host refuses to cooperate with her takeover. The Host was released...
, and appear in director Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
's adaptation of the play Byzantium.
In November 2011, she was digitally transported back in time to appear in scenes from Once
Once (film)
Once is a 2006 Irish musical film written and directed by John Carney. Set in Dublin, this naturalistic drama stars musicians Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová as musicians...
and My Left Foot
My Left Foot (film)
My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown is a 1989 drama film directed by Jim Sheridan and starring Daniel Day-Lewis. It tells the true story of Christy Brown, an Irishman born with cerebral palsy, who could control only his left foot. Christy Brown grew up in a poor, working class family, and...
as well as documentary footage on the arrival of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
at Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
and the GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
All-Ireland finals as a way to to promote the Irish Film Institute Archive Preservation Fund.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–2004 | The Clinic The Clinic (TV series) The Clinic is an award-winning Irish primetime television medical drama series produced by Parallel Film Productions for RTÉ. It debuted on RTÉ One in 2003 to positive reviews and proved to be one of the network's most popular shows. The show ran for seven seasons between September 2003 to November... |
Rhiannon Geraghty | 4 Episodes |
| 2005 | Proof Proof (TV series) Proof is an Irish television mini-serial co-produced by Subotica for RTÉ in Ireland and TV2 in Denmark. Proof had two season the second season entitled Proof 2.-Production:... |
Orla Boland | 4 Episodes |
| 2007 | The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey is a 2007 British film starring Tom Berenger, Joely Richardson, Luke Ward-Wilkinson, Aran Bell, Benjamin Eli and Saoirse Ronan.... |
Celia Hardwick | |
| Atonement Atonement (film) Atonement is a 2007 British romantic suspense war film directed by Joe Wright. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name by Ian McEwan. The film stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Saoirse Ronan. It was produced by Working Title Films and filmed throughout the summer of 2006... |
Briony Tallis (age 13) | Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role The 5th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards 2008 The Fifth Annual Irish Film and Television Awards took place on February 17, 2008 at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin.-Film:Film* Garage** Becoming Jane** Closing the Ring** Kings** ShroomsInternational Film... Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Youth in Film – Female Las Vegas Film Critics Society The Las Vegas Film Critics Society is a non-profit organization, composed of selected print, television and internet film critics in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.... Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role – Female Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film... Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Actress Nominated – Empire Award for Best Newcomer Empire Awards An Empire Award is an accolade bestowed by Empire, Britain's biggest selling film magazine, to recognize excellence of professionals in the locale and global film industry. The awards are voted for by readers of the magazine and in an annual ceremony, the Empire Awards, the winners are presented... Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated – London Film Critics Circle Award for British Supporting Actress of the Year London Film Critics Circle The London Film Critics' Circle is the name by which the Film Section of The Critics' Circle is known internationally.The word London was added because it was thought the term Critics' Circle Film Awards lacked meaning — for people in LA for example — and the Film Section wished its annual Awards... Nominated – London Film Critics Circle Award for British Breakthrough – Acting London Film Critics Circle The London Film Critics' Circle is the name by which the Film Section of The Critics' Circle is known internationally.The word London was added because it was thought the term Critics' Circle Film Awards lacked meaning — for people in LA for example — and the Film Section wished its annual Awards... Nominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best supporting actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated – Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
|
| I Could Never Be Your Woman I Could Never Be Your Woman I Could Never Be Your Woman is a 2007 American romantic comedy film directed and written by Amy Heckerling and starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd. The film was released on May 11 in Spain, July 18 in Belgium, September 14 in Brazil, September 20 in Greece and October 19 in Taiwan... |
Izzie | ||
| 2008 | Death Defying Acts Death Defying Acts Death Defying Acts is a 2007 supernatural romantic thriller. The film is a UK-Australian co-production directed by Gillian Armstrong and starring Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It concerns an episode in the life of Hungarian-American escapologist Harry Houdini at the height of his career in... |
Benji | Irish Film & Television Award for Actress in a Supporting Role The 6th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards 2009 The 6th Irish Film and Television Awards took place on 14 February 2009 at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin, and was hosted by Ryan Tubridy.-Awards in Film:Film* Hunger ** 32A** A Film with Me in It** The Escapist... Nominated – Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Supporting Actress Film Critics Circle of Australia The Film Critics Circle of Australia is a group of cinema critics that judge Australian films.-External links:**... |
| City of Ember City of Ember City of Ember is a 2008 science fiction-fantasy film based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Jeanne DuPrau. It was directed by Gil Kenan from a screenplay by Caroline Thompson, and stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau and Tim Robbins.-Plot:In the... |
Lina Mayfleet | Nominated – Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role The 6th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards 2009 The 6th Irish Film and Television Awards took place on 14 February 2009 at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin, and was hosted by Ryan Tubridy.-Awards in Film:Film* Hunger ** 32A** A Film with Me in It** The Escapist... |
|
| 2009 | The Lovely Bones The Lovely Bones (film) The Lovely Bones is a 2009 American drama film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a film adaptation of the award-winning and best-selling 2002 novel of the same name by Alice Sebold. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon, alongside Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie's parents Jack and... |
Susie Salmon | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young Actress Irish Film & Television Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role 7th Irish Film and Television Awards The 7th Irish Film and Television Awards took place on 20 February 2010 in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin.It was hosted by Victoria Smurfit.-Awards in film:Best Film* The Eclipse ** Ondine** The Secret of Kells** Zonad... Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Youth in Film – Female Las Vegas Film Critics Society The Las Vegas Film Critics Society is a non-profit organization, composed of selected print, television and internet film critics in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.... Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role – Female Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor Saturn Award The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within... Nominated – BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognise an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :... Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated – Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Nominated – Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Houston Film Critics Society The Houston Film Critics Society is a film critic organization in Houston, Texas, United States. The group presents an annual set of film awards for "extraordinary accomplishment in film" in a ceremony held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston... Nominated – London Critics Circle Film Award for Young British Performer of the Year Nominated – Santa Barbara International Film Virtuoso Award Santa Barbara International Film Festival The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1985, that showcases independent American and international films. The SBIFF line-up includes 20 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres, with newly expanded 11-day festival... Nominated – St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress The St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress is one of the annual awards given by the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association.-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated – Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film Leading Young Actress Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
| 2010 | The Way Back The Way Back The Way Back is a 2010 drama film about a group of prisoners who escape from a Siberian Gulag camp during World War II. The film is directed by Peter Weir from a screenplay also by Weir and Keith Clarke, inspired by The Long Walk , a book by Sławomir Rawicz, a Polish POW in the Soviet Gulag. It... |
Irena | Irish Film & Television Award for Actress in a Supporting Role 8th Irish Film and Television Awards The 8th Irish Film and Television Awards took place on 12 February 2011 in the Convention Centre, Dublin.It was hosted by Simon Delaney. The Awards show was broadcast live on RTÉ One television in Ireland.... Nominated – London Critics Circle Film Award for Young British Performer of the Year |
| 2011 | Hanna Hanna (film) Hanna is a 2011 European-American action thriller film directed by Joe Wright. The film stars actress Saoirse Ronan as the title character with Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett... |
Hanna | |
| Arrietty | Arrietty | UK Dub Voice | |
| Violet & Daisy Violet & Daisy Violet & Daisy is the first film directed by Geoffrey S. Fletcher. It is about two teenage assassins who accept what they think will be a quick and easy job, until an unexpected target throws them off plan.-Plot:... |
Daisy | ||
| 2012 | The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle | Charlotte Doyle | in production |
| 2013 | The Host The Host The Host may refer to:*"The Host" , an episode of the television series The X-Files*"The Host" , the 97th episode in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation... |
Melanie Stryder / Wanderer | pre production |
Further reading
- Cluain Dolcain: A Brief Note, Charles Doherty, in Seanchas: Studies in Early and Medieval Irish Archaeology, History and Literature in Honour of Francis John ByrneFrancis John ByrneFrancis John Byrne is an Irish historian.Born in Shanghai where his father, a Dundalk man, captained a ship on the Yellow River, Byrne was evacuated with his mother to Australia on the outbreak of World War II...
, pp. 182–188, edited by Alfred P. Smyth, Four Courts PressFour Courts PressFour Courts Press is an Irish academic publishing house.It was founded in 1970 by Michael Adams, a managing director at the Irish Academic Press and a member of Opus Dei. Its early publications were primarily theological, notably the English translation of the Navarre Bible...
, Dublin, 2000. ISBN 9 781851 824892