SHE HAS been nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes and Baftas, and has travelled the world making films, but a small birthday cake still brought a big smile to Saoirse Ronan’s face yesterday.
The Carlow actor turned 18 last month while on the set of The Host, so budding film-makers presented her with a cake when she attended the Coca-Cola Cinemagic film and television festival in Dublin yesterday.
The festival aims to give young people an insight into the film and television industries. The jet-lagged actor said she has just finished filming The Host, which is based on a book by Twilight author Stephenie Meyer. She plays the lead, alongside Diane Kruger, Max Irons and William Hurt, and she has spent the past few months filming in Louisiana and New Mexico.
Ronan’s success has led to her being sent a script every week, or two or three some weeks, her father Paul said. She is also contending with being recognised outside Ireland.
“People started to recognise me a little bit when I was over in the States, for the first time,” Ronan said. “It was a bit strange because I’ve never had that before and I think when a film commercially does very well you seem to be more recognised.”
She is preparing for a Kevin Macdonald film, How I Live Now, which will be followed by the Disney film Order of the Seven.
Ronan is patron of the Cinemagic festival, and she met people taking part in a workshop on writing and directing hosted by Song for a Raggy Boy director Aisling Walsh.
This is the fifth year of the festival, which also screens classic and new movies from around the world and for all ages. Today, The X Factor’s Dermot O’Leary will host a masterclass in television presenting.
