Saoirse Ronan on being ‘hangry’, acting on instinct – and being dandled on Brad Pitt’s knee
Acting comes naturally for the Golden Globe winner – it’s basic instinct, she tells STYLE
1. She has strong ties with both Ireland and the US
[My parents] left Ireland because of the difficult economic situation at the time. But even in the United States my parents had to fight hard to survive. My mother worked as a nanny and my father, who was an actor, had to work most of the time in a bar. And they lived in modest circumstances in the Bronx where I lived until I was three, when my parents decided to move back to Ireland.
2. She points out that some actors just want to act, and not necessarily become celebrities
I think there is definitely the misconception that [actors want to become celebrities]. When I was in Berlin someone asked me: Do children nowadays want to be actors or superstars? Do they want to be famous? I think they want to be famous but don’t really know what that means.
Even though my dad was an actor, there was no way I was hoping to be an actor at a young age. That wasn’t me. I’m an only child. So, talking to myself and talking in different accents, that was my outlet, my escape – to pretend I was somebody else. And I have been very lucky to find a job where I can channel that.
[My first role was] a clown in a short film and I was told afterwards, I don’t remember it, but there was someone yapping away, and I turned around to him and said, ‘Shhhh, quiet on the set!’ I must have come across as horrible!
Acting is kind of like child’s play, as a child can transform themselves into someone else, whether it’s a princess or an astronaut
I [sometimes] find it hard to analyse and understand what I do, but the way I work is usually based on instinct and kind of comes naturally. Acting is kind of like child’s play, as a child can transform themselves into someone else, whether it’s a princess or an astronaut.
[Children seem to do well in] completely transporting themselves into a different world because they have fewer inhibitions. They are brave and fearless. They will have to hang on to that if they want to act when they get older.