Saoirse Ronan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Saoirse Ronan
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Ronan in 2024
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Saoirse Una Ronan
12 April 1994 New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2003–present |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Awards | Full list |
Saoirse Una Ronan (pronounced SUR-shə OO-nə ROH-nən) is an Irish and American actress. She is famous for her roles in movies that are set in the past, often called period dramas. For her acting, she has won many awards, including a Golden Globe Award. She has also been nominated for four Academy Awards and seven British Academy Film Awards.
Ronan started acting in 2003 on an Irish TV show called The Clinic. Her big break in movies came in 2007 with the film Atonement. Her performance as a clever young girl earned her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. After that, she starred in movies like The Lovely Bones (2009) and the action film Hanna (2011). She also had a role in the popular movie The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).
She received more praise and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for several roles. These include playing an Irish immigrant in Brooklyn (2015) and a high school student in Lady Bird (2017). For Lady Bird, she won a Golden Globe Award. She also played the character Jo March in Little Women (2019).
Ronan has also performed on stage. In 2016, she was in a Broadway play called The Crucible. In 2021, she played Lady Macbeth in a London production of The Tragedy of Macbeth. In 2020, The New York Times named her one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
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Early life
Saoirse Una Ronan was born on April 12, 1994, in the Bronx, New York City. She is the only child of her Irish parents, Monica and Paul Ronan, who were both from Dublin. Her father worked in construction and bars before becoming an actor. Her mother worked as a nanny and had also acted when she was a child.
When Saoirse was three years old, her family moved back to Ireland. She grew up in Ardattin, County Carlow, and went to the local school. Later, her parents decided to have her taught at home by a private tutor. As a young teenager, she moved with her family to Howth, a town by the sea near Dublin.
Career
Starting Out and First Big Success (2003–2009)
Ronan's first acting job was on the Irish TV show The Clinic in 2003. She also auditioned for the role of Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. She didn't get the part, which went to another Irish actress, Evanna Lynch.
At age 12, Ronan got a major role in the 2007 movie Atonement. She played Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old girl who wants to be a writer. In the story, she makes a serious accusation that changes many people's lives. The movie was a big success. Critics said her performance was "remarkable." For this role, Ronan was nominated for a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was one of the youngest actors ever to be nominated for that award.
In 2009, Ronan starred in The Lovely Bones, directed by Peter Jackson. She played Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old girl who, after a terrible event, watches over her family from a place between Heaven and Earth. Critics praised Ronan's performance, saying she brought "immense gravity and grace" to the difficult story.
Becoming a Star (2010–2014)
In 2010, Ronan was in the war movie The Way Back. The next year, she starred in the action film Hanna. She played a 15-year-old girl raised in the wilderness to be an assassin. Ronan did her own stunts and trained for months in martial arts. Critics loved her performance, and the movie was a success.
She also did voice acting for the English version of the Japanese animated film Arrietty. At 16, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that gives out the Oscar awards.
In 2013, she starred in the science-fiction film The Host, where she played two characters in one body: a human girl and an alien. She also played an American teenager in the United Kingdom during a fictional war in the movie How I Live Now.
In 2014, Ronan had a supporting role in the hit comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel. The film was very successful and was named by the BBC as one of the greatest films of the century.
Famous and Respected Actress (2015–2021)
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In 2015, Ronan starred in the drama Brooklyn. She played Eilis Lacey, a young Irish woman who moves to New York City in the 1950s and feels very homesick. The movie and her acting were highly praised. One critic wrote that her "calm poise anchors almost every scene." For this role, Ronan was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
In 2016, Ronan made her first appearance on a Broadway stage in the play The Crucible. She played Abigail Williams, a character in a story based on the real-life Salem witch trials.
Her next big film was Lady Bird (2017). She played Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson, a high school senior with a complicated relationship with her mother. The movie was a huge critical success. A top critic from The New York Times called her performance one of the best of the year. She won a Golden Globe Award for Lady Bird and was nominated for another Academy Award.
In 2018, she played Mary Stuart in the historical movie Mary Queen of Scots. She starred alongside Margot Robbie, who played Elizabeth I of England.
Ronan worked with director Greta Gerwig again for the 2019 film Little Women. She played the main character, Jo March, a determined young writer during the American Civil War. The movie was a big hit, earning over $218 million. Ronan's performance earned her a fourth Oscar nomination. At just 25 years old, she became the second-youngest person to receive four Oscar nominations.
In 2020, she starred in Ammonite, playing the geologist Charlotte Murchison. The next year, she returned to the stage in London to play Lady Macbeth in The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Recent Work (2022–present)
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In 2022, Ronan starred with Sam Rockwell in the comedy mystery film See How They Run. She then appeared in the 2023 science fiction film Foe.
Ronan started her own production company, Arcade Pictures, and produced the 2024 film The Outrun. She also starred in it as a woman named Rona. For her performance, she received nominations for BAFTA Awards for Best Actress and Outstanding British Film.
Later in 2024, Ronan starred in the drama film Blitz, playing a mother searching for her son during the Blitz in London. She also sang songs for the movie's soundtrack.
Personal life
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Ronan was born in the United States to Irish parents and grew up in Ireland. Because of this, she has dual citizenship for both Ireland and the U.S. She says, "I don't know where I am from. I'm just Irish." She is very close to her parents.
Since 2018, she has been in a relationship with Scottish actor Jack Lowden, who she starred with in Mary Queen of Scots. In July 2024, it was reported that they had married in a private ceremony in Edinburgh. In May 2025, reports said the couple are expecting their first child.
Ronan is a private person and does not use social media, which she finds "too stressful." She is an ambassador for the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. She has also supported campaigns to help homeless people in Ireland.
Acting credits and accolades
Ronan has been nominated for an Academy Award four times:
- 80th Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress for Atonement (2007)
- 88th Academy Awards: Best Actress for Brooklyn (2015)
- 90th Academy Awards: Best Actress for Lady Bird (2017)
- 92nd Academy Awards: Best Actress for Little Women (2019)
She has won one Golden Globe Award for her role in Lady Bird.
See also
In Spanish: Saoirse Ronan para niños
- List of Irish Academy Award winners and nominees
- List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees
- List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
