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; born 12 April 1994) is a famous Irish-American actress. She is well-known for her roles in movies that are set in the past, often called period dramas. Saoirse has won many awards, including a Golden Globe Award, and has been nominated four times for an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar).
Saoirse started acting in 2003 in an Irish TV show called The Clinic. She became widely known for her role as a smart teenager in the movie Atonement (2007). This role earned her an Oscar nomination when she was very young. She then starred in films like The Lovely Bones (2009) and Hanna (2011).
She received great praise and more Oscar nominations for playing an Irish immigrant in New York in Brooklyn (2015). She also starred as a high school student in Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird (2017), for which she won a Golden Globe Award. Later, she played Jo March in Gerwig's movie Little Women (2019), earning another Oscar nomination. More recently, she produced and starred in the drama The Outrun (2024).
On stage, Saoirse has performed in plays like The Crucible on Broadway in 2016 and The Tragedy of Macbeth in London's West End in 2021. In 2020, The New York Times newspaper listed her as one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Saoirse Una Ronan was born on 12 April 1994 in the Bronx, a part of New York City. Her parents, Monica and Paul Ronan, were from Dublin, Ireland. Her father was also an actor. When Saoirse was three years old, her family moved back to Dublin, Ireland. She grew up in Ardattin, County Carlow, and later lived in Howth, a seaside village near Dublin. She was taught at home for some of her schooling.
Acting Career Highlights
First Roles and Big Break (2003–2009)
Saoirse's first TV appearance was in 2003 on the Irish show The Clinic. She also appeared in the mini-series Proof. Around this time, she tried out for the role of Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter movie, but another Irish actress got the part.
Her first movie was the comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman, filmed in 2005. She played the daughter of Michelle Pfeiffer's character. Critics thought Saoirse's acting was a highlight of the film.
When she was 12, Saoirse got a big role in the 2007 movie Atonement. She played Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old who causes problems by wrongly accusing someone. She acted alongside Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. The movie was very successful, earning over $129 million worldwide. Critics praised her performance, calling her "remarkable." For this role, Saoirse was nominated for a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was one of the youngest people ever nominated in that category.
Saoirse then played a girl whose mother was a psychic in Death Defying Acts (2007). She also starred as Lina Mayfleet in the fantasy movie City of Ember (2008), where her character had to save people in an underground city.
In 2009, Saoirse starred in the drama The Lovely Bones, based on a popular book. She played a young girl who watches her family from the afterlife. Even though the movie received mixed reviews, critics praised Saoirse's performance, calling it full of "gravity and grace." She earned a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role nomination for this film.
Becoming a Well-Known Actress (2010–2014)
In the 2010 war drama The Way Back, Saoirse played a Polish orphan during World War II. She joined a group of escaped prisoners on a long journey to India.
The next year, Saoirse worked with director Joe Wright again in the action movie Hanna. She played a 15-year-old girl who was trained in the wilderness to be an assassin. Saoirse did her own stunts and trained in martial arts for the role. Critics loved her performance and the action scenes. The movie was a success. She also provided the main voice for the English version of the anime film Arrietty. At just 16 years old, Saoirse was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the group that gives out the Oscars.
In 2011, Saoirse and Alexis Bledel played assassins in the action film Violet & Daisy. She was also asked to play an elf in The Hobbit movies but couldn't due to other commitments. Instead, she chose to star in the horror film Byzantium (2012), where she played a vampire alongside Gemma Arterton.
In 2013, Saoirse played two characters in the movie The Host, based on a science fiction novel. She played a human rebel and an alien living in the same body. Later that year, she starred in How I Live Now, playing an American teenager sent to a farm in the UK during a fictional World War III.
Saoirse had two movies released in 2014. One was the highly praised comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel, directed by Wes Anderson. In this movie, she played a supporting role as a love interest. This was her first film where her parents didn't come with her to the set. The movie was very successful and is considered one of the best films of the century by the BBC. Her other film that year was Lost River, where she played a mysterious young girl.
Becoming a Star (2015–2021)
After a psychological thriller called Stockholm, Pennsylvania (2015), Saoirse took on the lead role of Eilis Lacey in the drama Brooklyn. She played a young Irishwoman who moves to New York City in the 1950s and misses her home. Both the movie and Saoirse's performance were highly praised. Critics said she brought "overwhelming empathy" to the role. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for this film.
In 2016, Saoirse moved to New York City to make her debut on Broadway in the play The Crucible. She played Abigail Williams, a character responsible for accusing many people of witchcraft. Critics found her performance "icy and commanding."
Saoirse then voiced a character in the animated drama Loving Vincent (2017). She also starred in On Chesil Beach, playing a newlywed on her honeymoon.
Her next big role was in Greta Gerwig's coming-of-age film Lady Bird. Saoirse played Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson, a high school senior with a complicated relationship with her mother. The movie was incredibly well-received. Critics called Saoirse's performance one of the best of the year, saying she was "spontaneous and unpredictable." She won a Golden Globe Award for this role and received Oscar, BAFTA, and SAG nominations.
In 2017, Saoirse hosted an episode of the TV show Saturday Night Live. She also appeared in the music video for Ed Sheeran's song "Galway Girl". The next year, she starred in a movie version of Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull. She also played Mary Stuart in the historical drama Mary Queen of Scots, acting alongside Margot Robbie.
After hearing about a new movie version of Louisa May Alcott's book Little Women, Saoirse really wanted to play the main character, Jo March. The movie was also directed by Greta Gerwig. Little Women was released in 2019 and was a huge success, earning over $218 million. Critics praised Saoirse for showing all the different sides of Jo's character. She received more Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations for this role. At 25 years old, Saoirse became the second youngest person to get four Oscar nominations, after Jennifer Lawrence.
In 2020, Saoirse played a geologist named Charlotte Murchison in the drama Ammonite, alongside Kate Winslet. The movie was about their relationship in the 1840s. Critics called it a "powerful performance." The next year, she had a small role in Wes Anderson's film The French Dispatch. She also made her London stage debut in The Tragedy of Macbeth, playing Lady Macbeth.
New Projects (2022–Present)
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In 2022, Saoirse and Sam Rockwell played police officers solving a murder in 1950s London in the comedy mystery film See How They Run. Critics enjoyed her comedic acting in this role. She then starred with Paul Mescal in Foe (2023), a science fiction movie that received mixed reviews.
Saoirse, along with actor Jack Lowden and producer Dominic Norris, started a production company called Arcade Pictures. Through this company, they produced The Outrun (2024), a movie based on a true story. Saoirse also starred in the film and helped write some of her character's lines. For The Outrun, she was nominated for two BAFTA awards, one for Best Actress and one for Outstanding British Film (as a producer).
Saoirse will next star in a comedy thriller called Bad Apples, where she plays a primary school teacher.
Personal Life
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Saoirse was born in the U.S. to Irish parents and grew up in Ireland, so she has dual citizenship for both Ireland and the United States. She often says, "I don't know where I am from. I'm just Irish." She also feels a connection to New York. She is very close to her parents and lived with them until she was 19. She has said her mother helped protect her from difficult situations on film sets when she was younger.
Saoirse bought a home in Greystones, Ireland, in 2018, and later sold it in 2019. In 2020, she bought a home in West Cork, Ireland. Since 2018, she has been in a relationship with Scottish actor Jack Lowden, who was her co-star in Mary Queen of Scots. They split their time between Dublin, London, and Scotland. In July 2024, it was reported that they had married in a private ceremony.
Saoirse likes to keep her private life to herself and avoids social media. She tried using Twitter once but deleted her account because she found it "too stressful." She believes that acting is different from other public jobs because actors are not themselves when they are working.
Saoirse is an ambassador for the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. She has also supported campaigns against homelessness and appeared in a music video for Hozier's song "Cherry Wine" to raise awareness about domestic violence.
Awards and Recognitions
Saoirse Ronan has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars) for these performances:
- 80th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Atonement (2007)
- 88th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actress for Brooklyn (2015)
- 90th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actress for Lady Bird (2017)
- 92nd Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actress for Little Women (2019)
In 2020, at 25 years and six months old, Saoirse became the second youngest person to receive four Oscar nominations. Only American actress Jennifer Lawrence achieved this at a younger age.
She has also received five British Academy Film Award nominations and four Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. She has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Lady Bird (2017).
See also
- 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
