Saoirse Ronan: “Thank you very much. It was unexpected. I wasn’t aware of the nominees until a couple of days ago and so I looked it up. Even though there quite a bit younger than me I had seen the little girl in Brothers and the little boy who plays Max in Where the Wild Things Are, and I was completely blown away by both of them. So I really didn’t know who was going to win so it was great.”
Well, congratulations. That role must have been incredible to step into. So many people love the book, so how tough was that and did it weigh on your shoulders at all when you’re doing it?
Saoirse Ronan: “Not as much when I was doing it – more afterwards. I mean, I did think about it. It was more really that I was worried about not giving Pete [Jackson] and Fran [Walsh] and Philippa [Boyens] what they wanted, not really the readers. But, I haven’t worried about it. It’s something that I’m aware of. And now that it’s opened wide, it opened yesterday, I’m anxious to see what it does.”
Working with Peter, the guy’s not only a genius but also a really nice man…
Saoirse Ronan: “I know.”
What was he like as a director? How’d he help you out?
Saoirse Ronan: “Well he helped me out immensely. I’ve never really worked with a director like Peter before. I really haven’t. And I actually missed working with him when we finished. I still miss his type of direction. He’s very physically involved. He would actually sometimes act out the scenes for me, which I loved. He wouldn’t – not with acting, just physically. And he put an awful lot of energy into his direction. And he’s good at everything. He’s an actor’s director. Technicality-wise he’s great as well.”
And you had to have a lot of faith in him because a lot of the stuff that you’re working with is not there that you’re working against.
Saoirse Ronan: “Yeah, I was a little bit nervous before I actually read the script and met them. And then I met them and I just instantly felt like I was in safe hands because they’ve got a family themselves. They’ve got children – three of the have. And I knew that everything was going to be okay; it was going to be very tastefully done.”
And Stanley [Tucci] is such a nice guy and he plays the most evil guy on earth. Between scenes, how did you guys interact?
Saoirse Ronan: “Well Stanley and I get on really well, which was essential, I think, for us to have a good relationship, and to be able to bounce off of each other. Because the intense scenes that we had together would have been very difficult to do if we couldn’t go to those awkward, uncomfortable, deep places. But in between takes I’d just go up and give Stanley a hug.”
That’s nice to hear. And you’re reuniting with Joe Wright?
Saoirse Ronan: “I am, yeah. I’m doing with Hannah with him in a couple months, so it’s very exciting. Yeah, i can’t wait to start working with him again.”
Byzantium
Violet & Daisy
Hanna 
The Way Back
