She was just 13-years-old when she was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in 2007’s Atonement. Now, at 15, she’s staring in Peter Jackson’s latest film, The Lovely Bones. The movie, which opens nationwide today, is based on Alice Sebold’s best-selling novel of the same name about a young girl who is murdered and finds herself in the in-between. myMag had the privilege of speaking with Saoirse Ronan about her character Susie, what it was like to work with Peter Jackson, and how this film helped her cope with her own loss of a family member.
Peter Jackson turned out to be a nice guy then…
He did turn out to be a nice guy. [Laughs]
How did you react when you found out you had been cast in the role?
I couldn’t believe it. I actually found out before I met Pete, so it was really shocking. It actually took about 10 seconds for me and my parents to even speak. Then we were thrilled. We were delighted and couldn’t believe it. Not only was I going to be working with Peter Jackson, probably one of the best directors in history, but the fact that it was produced by Steven Spielberg as well…wonderful.
Part of Susie’s development during the film is actually her demise. How did you prepare to play the role of someone who is brutally murdered, and then depict her after her death?
I never really thought of Susie as a dead girl. Her body had died, but her soul lived on. She’s in the in-between. She’s growing, but she’s always longed for that kiss from Ray Singh. And wanted to be with her family, and wanted all of those normal things that she could never have. I think that was very important to show that. That she wasn’t really dead. She wasn’t gone. That’s how I went about it.
How much did you rely on Alice Sebold’s book versus the screenplay versus your own interpretation of Susie to create her character?
Well, I actually waited to read the book until after I made the movie. I was thirteen at the time, and I felt like I was just too young to read it. So I waited, and I read the script. Luckily, the script was very well written and it was such a great version for the screen. It was very easy to just go with that really.
Pete, Fran and Phillipa had a very strong vision about what they wanted and I prefer that to someone who just kind of figures it out as they go along. I mean, someone needs to know what we’re going to do. It makes you feel a lot safer.
So you found Peter Jackson to be a very hands-on director?
Yeah. He was also very open to trying things different ways and hearing suggestions. But Pete had a vision, and I like that. That really worked for me.
You work with quite an A-list cast in this film, including Mark Wahlberg, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci and Rachel Weisz. What are some of the more memorable moments of being on set together?
I remember the first day of shooting. The Maoris, who are the natives of New Zealand, actually came on to the set to bless it. They did a haka [tribal dance]. At first, it was quite scary because they’re very passionate. I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but it’s pretty intense. It was for all the international people who came over, so me, Rachel, Mark, and Stanley as well. They did it for us and it was so emotional. Then we went around and we did the Maori greeting. That was a really great day.
I remember another day when it was just me. We took a helicopter up into this untouched mountain, valley thing. I don’t even know what you’d call it. It was where the gazebo was with Ray when he’s on the lake. Nobody had ever been there. We went there and we went high up into the mountains. It was beautiful. There were lots of great, great experiences.
Have you received any advice from older actors you’ve worked with that has stuck with you?
Only a few days ago, I was talking to Susan and I must have made a joke and she said, ‘This is a tough business. If you want to stay in this business, you should always be funny.’ Basically, she meant don’t take it all too seriously. Even as Grandma Lynn, her character, says in the film, ‘Just have fun kid.’ It’s really something to go by. If you don’t have fun, what’s that point? I’ve heard that from quite a few people, but when Susan said that it really stuck with me.
When did you first discover your love of acting?
I had worked on a couple of movies and TV shows, just little parts. I really enjoyed it. The third film I did was Atonement, and it was a real challenge. It was a dramatic movie. Briony is the complete opposite of me, of my personality. So, it was a real test for me. Coming out on the other side and loving it even more, I decided then that this was something that I could never give up. That was when I knew that I truly loved it.
Did you find the role of Susie challenging as well, or was she closer to who you are naturally?
I found that I was quite similar to Susie in a lot of ways, because she’s a typical teenage girl. In some ways, that was actually even more difficult to play.
What kind of roles appeal to you as an actor?
It really depends on the situation the character is in. I always like to play a role that hasn’t been done 100 times over. And smart girls, usually not very easy, ditzy characters. I don’t want to play girls like that who really don’t have any depth. I’m not into the whole girl-next-door thing. I wouldn’t mind trying it, but I feel like you get an awful lot more satisfaction out of doing something that’s hard to do, that’s tough, and that you really need to think about and explore.
What did you take away from the process of making this film?
I took away a lot of things. I made some lifelong friends on this film, people who I love, look up to and who I just enjoy their company. I had the most wonderful time in New Zealand. If I didn’t love Ireland so much, I would move to New Zealand. I love it there, I really do.
I think more about the afterlife now, more in a positive light. We had a death in the family last year. I felt like that I had been through that experience. I felt not as guilty, and I felt like it was easier for me to let go. I knew that his energy must be somewhere. Although it was sad, it was okay. And it was okay to not feel devastation.
What do you hope that people who see this film take away from it?
It’s going to take time to let go, and it’s okay. When we did a Q&A and they asked us what we take away from this experience, each one of us gave a different answer. It’s about celebrating life. It’s about accepting death, and eventually learning to let go. Having hope knowing that love will bring you together. Ultimately, this movie is a positive one. It’s not about Susie’s murder. It’s about everything that comes after it, and the journey they take to heal.
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