Tuesday, 28 March 2023 | 13.4°C Dublin

Subscribe
- My Account
- Log Out

News [1]
Opinion [2]
Business [3]
Sport [4]
Life [5]
Style [7]
Entertainment [8]
Travel [9]

Menu Sections

Independentie

News [1]
Opinion [2]
Business [3]
Sport [4]
Life [5]
Style [7]
Entertainment [8]
Travel [9]

Menu Sections

Close

Saoirse Ronan: 'I'll never change my name or anything about me for anybody'

Saoirse Ronan

Elaine McCahill

January 01 2016 12:20 PM

Ryan Gosling had to teach fellow A-listers how to pronounce her name but Saoirse Ronan has said she'll never change it.

The 21-year-old admitted she used to hate her Irish name when she was younger but grew to love it.

"I would never change my name," she said.

"When I was a child and nobody else was called Saoirse, I thought, 'Oh, I'd like a normal name', just because I was a kid.

"But the older I got, I decided I was never going to change anything for anyone," she added.

The Carlow native has been an actress since childhood and said she got some invaluable advice from American rocker Patti Smith.

They met at a party for 2013 sci-fi movie The Host when Saoirse was 19.

"I think she came along just kind of when I needed her, really," Ronan said.

"She was kind of like a guardian angel or something.

"We were doing a lot of press and I was still getting used to all of that, and she just said 'hello' to me and took my hands and looked at me and said, 'Just remember, it's about the work - it only ever can be about the work, and as long as you remember that, you'll be fine.' It was amazing," she added.

Video of the Day

fear

Ronan's performance in Brooklyn has been garnering Oscar buzz but she said it was her hardest role to date.

"It was the first time I felt fear," she told the Hollywood Reporter.

"There was nowhere to hide. I wasn't in heaven, I wasn't a vampire, I wasn't an assassin.

"This was the hardest thing for me, to be able to play someone whose identity was so similar to mine.

"I mean, this felt like it was my identity, and I was still kind of coming to terms with that myself.

"I really didn't think that I'd get through it most days.

"That's why it's so amazing that this [the celebration of her performance] is going on.

"To be able to walk through that fire and have all of this happen? I'm still pinching myself."

Oscar nominations are due to be announced on January 14.

Welcome!

Welcome! Discover your full benefits as a Premium subscriber.

Saoirse Ronan: 'I'll never change my name or anything about me for anybody'

Video of the Day

Related Content

Saoirse Ronan 'not thinking about Oscars or diets'

Saoirse the big winner but brushes off talk of Oscars

Saoirse Ronan highlights migrant plight at premiere of Brooklyn

Profits at Saoirse's company more than €110,000

Saoirse Ronan says new movie Brooklyn 'story of my people'

Saoirse Ronan: 'I'll never change my name or anything about me for anybody'

Saoirse Ronan 'not thinking about Oscars or diets' following success of Brooklyn film

Saoirse Ronan 'not thinking about Oscars or diets'

Saoirse Ronan 'not thinking about Oscars or diets'

Most Watched

Watch as surfer glides through huge wave in Co Clare

Enoch Burke excluded from courtroom over contempt of court after repeated clashes with judge

Video shows car being driven over traffic pole on pedestrianised street in Dublin

Veteran news anchor absent after quoting Snoop Dogg phrase live on air

News in 90 seconds

Latest Celebrity

Most Read

Latest