The two huge movies Saoirse Ronan could have starred in: “I’m really disappointed”
Saoirse Ronan is without a doubt, one of the most talented actors of her generation. After starring in her first feature film at the age of eleven, she has gone from strength to strength while remaining somewhat detached from the usual stereotypes that haunt child actors, somehow defying the limited roles that are typically offered to young people and starring in emotionally mature and complex dramas from the very beginning.
Since then, she has worked with auteurs such as Wes Anderson, Greta Gerwig and Steve McQueen, reprising lead roles in beloved films like Lady Bird, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Little Women, capturing the hearts of audiences all over the world for her deeply relatable and heart-wrenching portrayal of adolescence, loneliness and parental conflict.
However, while she appears to be the kind of performer who’s done it all, becoming an unprecedented example of a former child actor who manages to effortlessly sustain a career into adulthood, Ronan high standards for herself described some of her biggest career regrets so far.
There are many child actors who have reached global fame through their early work in film franchises and series, whether it be the enduring impact of Zendaya, Michael Cera or more notably, the main cast of Harry Potter. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint found themselves thrust into the limelight from a very young age after being cast in one of the most highly anticipated book adaptations of all time, with each of them having varying experiences in the public eye.
But while their respective journeys with fame might have been tumultuous and undeniably complex, there is no doubt that their work has touched millions of people and will be forever immortalised on the big screen, something that Ronan regrets not being a part of.
When describing the roles she most wishes she had been given, Ronan revealed that she auditioned for the role of Ravenclaw Hogwarts student Luma Lovegood, which was eventually given to fellow Irish actor Evanna Lynch. When discussing this, Ronan said, “I was too young – but at the time I thought, ‘I’d love to be in Harry Potter.’ When I was younger, I used to think they had the best job in the world.”
As well as this, Ronan also expressed regret over not starring in The Hobbit, the prequel to The Lord of the Rings directed by Peter Jackson. Due to a scheduling conflict, the actor couldn’t accept the role, saying, “I mean, yeah. I’m really disappointed that I couldn’t do it. I really am. Any excuse for me to go back to New Zealand, and work with those people I’d take. But there are other projects as well that I’ve had to consider… and to do that for over a year, it wouldn’t have left me time to do anything else.”
While she might feel a twinge of regret over not being part of such widely beloved franchises, Ronan has forged her own path in a different cinematic arena, becoming equally successful as one of the faces of independent cinema.
