Saoirse Ronan admits Ryan Gosling’s firing from ‘The Lovely Bones’ was “valid”
Irish actor Saoirse Ronan recently discussed her 2009 project The Lovely Bones and described the decision to fire Ryan Gosling from the cast as “totally valid”.
In the film, which is based on Alice Sebold’s 2002 novel of the same name, Ronan plays a murdered teenager whose unfinished business leads her to stick around and watch over her family and killer. Gosling was initially supposed to play Jack Salmon, the girl’s father, but was soon replaced by Mark Wahlberg for unspecified reasons other than suggested creative differences.
Discussing the movie during a new episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ronan said his exclusion was “sad” but “totally valid.”
She explained: “I think I just loved Ryan. And his dog, George. And I was just sad that, you know, he wasn’t gonna be around.”
Sharing her thoughts since reflecting and speaking with both sides, she added: “But I think the reasons why they parted were totally valid, and I’ve spoken to both now and it happens. Do you know what I mean? It it’s not personal, necessarily. It’s like sometimes you’re just not on the same page.”
Gosling previously shared his recollection of events during a Hollywood Reporter roundtable in 2011, saying that he envisioned the role to have a certain appearance but that he had “gotten it wrong.” However, Ronan believed Wahlberg likely filled the shoes more appropriately since he was also a father much older than Gosling.
What is Saiorse Ronan’s new movie ‘Blitz’ about?
Ronan’s latest venture, Blitz, is a Sir Steve McQueen-helmed historical drama set in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Immensely poignant and hard-hitting, the actor recently discussed shooting a movie that tackles something deeply imbedded in current society, saying it felt “incredibly relevant” doing something like this against the ongoing cultural landscape.
“You’d shoot certain scenes where there’s total chaos and pandemonium, and we’re portraying characters in abject fear and horror,” the actor said, per BBC. She added, “And then you’d leave set, turn on the radio, and you’d hear exactly the same thing, or put on the news and see exactly the same thing.”
The film opened the London Film Festival and is tipped to be a notable Oscars contender, despite joining the arena much later than other potential candidates. McQueen maintained his desire to launch the movie to UK audiences, which he deemed the perfect home considering its cultural content.
As for other upcoming projects, Ronan recently floated the idea of one day joining the James Bond franchise as a villain, expressing her desire to challenge the role of female villains in the series and Hollywood in a broader sense.
Reflecting on other huge industry projects, she stated she “can’t see [herself] doing Marvel” and that she would much rather be in a Bond film, suggesting this is something she had long thought about and would tick off a huge aspect of her wish list if it were to be fulfilled.
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