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Saoirse Ronan 'fell in love' with first boyfriend during filming of new movie

Caitlin McBride Twitter Email

Director Kevin Macdonald has spoken about the Irish actress' new love, George MacKay.

Irish actress Saoirse Ronan met, and fell in love with her first boyfriend, actor George MacKay, during the filming of their movie How I Live Now, according to its director.

Film boss Kevin Macdonald has revealed that the Oscar-nominated actress from Carlow's real life mirrored that of her character, who falls in love with McKay on screen.

How I Live Now is a dystopian tale during the outbreak of World War III, which sees Saoirse's American character, Daisy, moves to England to stay with her eccentric cousins and eventually falls in love with her relative Edmond, played by MacKay.

Macdonald has revealed that he couldn't have been luckier during the course of filming when it came to his stars' romantic chemistry, as art was imitating life.

"What happened during the course of film, and I'm hoping that I'm not speaking out of turn, is that they fell in love and it was very easy," he said.

"It was Saoirse's first proper boyfriend and, in a way, I think she was living through the same thing that the character is going through.

I suspected what was going on but they kept it very quiet," he told The Independent.

And despite the controversial subject matter of cousins falling in love, he said that he made the film with the intention of European distribution, believing it to be "too dark" for the US.

"I hope it's not too controversial," MacDonald added.

"It happens to people everywhere.

"The thing is, they are related by blood, but they haven't grown up together and they have never met before. She has a strong attraction to him, but he is socially awkward and more in touch with nature. That bugs her because she's not like that.

"A big part of the story is about the deep love these two young people have for each other."

"It was awkward doing the sex scenes," he added.

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"I have not done that many. I remember before I made The Last King of Scotland, it was my first drama and I was lucky enough to get a masterclass from Danny Boyle. He gave me the best advice.

"He said, 'Take all of the eroticism and romance out of it and reduce it down to a series of mechanical moves. Make it like a series of dance moves.' And that is sort of what we did."

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