Saoirse Ronan: Everything You Need To Know About The ‘Brooklyn’ Actress

Thanks to her Golden Globe and Oscar nominated performance in Brooklyn, Saoirse Ronan is being recognised as one of Hollywood’s hottest rising stars. But while she may be just 24 years old, Brooklyn is far from a breakout role for the Irish actress, who was first nominated for an Oscar aged 13. From her favourite designers to how to pronounce that name, here’s everything you need to know about the girl of the moment.

Saoirse Ronan: The Biography

Saoirse was born in the Bronx, New York City, on 12 April 1994, meaning she’ll turn 25 later this year. The only child of Irish parents, she moved across the pond to County Carlow, Ireland aged three before relocating to Howth in Dublin. She currently holds dual citizenship of the US and Ireland.

Her impressive acting career started at the age of 13 - no awkward teenage years here. In 2003, she made her TV debut in medical drama The Clinic (think along the lines of an Irish Casualty), and followed this with an appearance in mini-series Proof. Around this time, she auditioned for the part of Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which was eventually given to Evanna Lynch.

Saoirse's first major role was in Joe Wright’s adaptation of Atonement, in which she starred as Briony Tallis alongside Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Her remarkable performance earned her BAFTA, Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress in 2008 (making her one of the youngest actresses ever nominated for an Academy Award). In 2018 she scooped the Best Performance By An Actress Golden Globe for her performance in Lady Bird. Saoirse currently lives in New York City, where she was born.__

Saoirse Ronan's Filmography

Saoirse’s performance in Atonement was followed by roles as Michelle Pfeiffer’s daughter in rom-com I Could Never Be Your Woman, Catherine Zeta Jones’s daughter in Death Defying Acts, and the lead in fantasy film The City of Ember.

Her next standout role was in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of hit novel The Lovely Bones, playing the ghost of 14-year old Susie Salmon. Due to the film’s difficult subject matter (Susie is murdered in the opening scenes, and spends the rest of the film watching her friends and family come to terms with her death), Ronan’s family hesitated as to whether she should take on the role. Her decision was clearly vindicated, though, as she won a Critics’ Choice Award and a second BAFTA nomination for her performance.

Demonstrating a seriously impressive range, she then went on to play a Polish orphan in gritty war drama The Way Back, a pint-sized assassin in Hanna (for which she studied knife fighting and martial arts, and learned how to shoot – don’t mess) and a girl taken over by a parasitic alien (yes, really) in Stephanie Meyer’s The Host. She then took the lead role in the 2013 adaptation of Meg Rosoff’s How I Live Now, playing an American teen sent to stay with her family in the English countryside upon the outbreak of World War Three. She went on to date her co-star, George MacCoy.

Next up were roles in Wes Anderson’s much-lauded Grand Budapest Hotel, and in Ryan Gosling’s critically panned directorial debut, Lost River. She was also considered for the lead in Kenneth Branagh's live action re-make of Disney's Cinderella, but ultimately lost out to Downton Abbey's Lily James. In 2017 she forayed into the world of music videos and appeared next to Ed Sheeran in Galway Girl which is impressive given her packed filming schedule that year - as Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson in Greta Gerwig's Golden Globe winning coming of age drama of the same name_._ That year__ She also played the lead role of Florence Ponting in Dominic Cooke's adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel On Chesil Beach.

Her latest film Mary, Queen of Scots in which she plays Mary Stuart alongside Margot Robbie is in cinemas now. It's fair to say the actress has been busy enough for one year but she's showing no signs of stopping and you should keep an eye out for her next film in 2019 which is in post production at the moment, it's Little Women and she's playing the lead role of Jo March.

Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn

Released on 6 November 2015, Brooklyn was adapted from Colm Toibin’s novel by About A Boy author Nick Hornby. Ronan stars in Brooklyn as Eilis Lacey, an Irish girl who travels to New York in the 1950s, opposite Ex Machina and Star Wars star Domnhall Gleeson.

Speaking at the BFI London Film Festival, she described Brooklyn as ‘Very challenging, but the most rewarding film I’ve ever done.’ To date, Saoirse has received six awards and 10 nominations for her performance, including another Oscars nod. She’ll be up against Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlotte Rampling and Golden Globes winner Brie Larson.

Saoirse Ronan: Pronunciation

Saoirse's traditional Irish name (which means 'freedom') has left some interviewers stumbling over their words. It's pronounced 'Sur-sha' and 'rhymes with inertia,' as demonstrated during the actress's recent appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show.

Saoirse Ronan's Style

She's been an awards show regular since the age of 13, so Saoirse has had a while to perfect her red carpet style. While she favoured a classic, Grecian-style couture gown by Yves Saint Laurent for her recent Golden Globes appearance, she's not afraid to take risks, wearing directional styles from younger British designers like Roksanda, Peter Pilotto and Emilia Wickstead as well as bigger names like Burberry and Antonio Berardi (which she wore for the recent Critics' Choice awards).

Take a look at Saoirse's style evolution in the gallery below...