'I’m very grateful for it': Saoirse Ronan reacts to her viral Graham Norton appearance

Thu, 21 Nov, 2024 - 15:28

Breda Graham

Fresh from her viral appearance on the Graham Norton Show, Irish acting royalty Saoirse Ronan recently joined Jessie and Lennie Ware on the Table Manners podcast and discussed the viral moment that sparked “a conversation that absolutely needs to be had”.

Saorise joined Denzel Washington, fellow Irish actor Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne on The Graham Norton Show late last month when a discussion arose about how Eddie Redmayne had been taught how to use a phone as a weapon while training for his role as an assassin in The Day of the Jackal.

In response, Paul Mescal questioned whether anyone would realistically have time to take their phone out when being attacked, before Saoirse said: "That's what girls have to think about all the time. Am I right ladies?"

The clip went viral when shared on social media and Saoirse’s comment has been described as “incredibly precise and powerful” and one that resonated with women across the globe.

Appearing on the Table Manners podcast which went live this week, Saoirse addressed the viral moment and acknowledged that her comment started a conversation that she said “absolutely needs to be had”.

“I’ve found it interesting to become aware of my own reaction to all this over the last few days because I even think I had a moment, being honest, where I felt bad but then I thought ‘no, no mustn't do that’ because then you’re sort of falling into that trap again,” she told Jessie and Lennie Ware.

“I guess, because that’s the sort of conversation that I would have with my female friends and my male friends — one of which being Paul Mescal, he is one of our dear friends — and we’ll make comments like that all the time at the dinner table and I’m so lucky that we live in a very liberal household and we have a lot of artists, actors and musicians and stuff around us.”

Saoirse explained that the women in her life, including her mother, mother-in-law, and friends, have always been vocal about their experiences and that it is something that she has never shied away from addressing.

She said that in the previous few years and particularly since the murder of Sarah Everard, there is more of an impetus for women to go out of their way to explain to the men in their lives that these are the things that women have to think of “90% of the time — subconsciously”.

“I remember myself and my mother-in-law having a conversation with Jack [Saoirse’s husband] and his brother after that happened and we said: ‘You know when we get into an elevator, if a guy comes in and it's just us in the lift and the doors close, the thought will come into our head that we could be attacked’. Categorically that is what will happen, that is our reality.”

Saoirse said she did not expect such a reaction to what she said and that she had been in her head about “not doing a good job” on the show and forgot about what had been said as it was part of a much wider conversation.

“In a way, even though I didn’t expect this sort of reaction, I am incredibly refreshed and proud actually that we’re all talking about it. And I think we can do it in a calm manner. We have to keep it in context, the lads didn’t hear my comment and say ‘Sure, what are you talking about’ — they didn’t,” she said.

I’m very grateful for it and I’m grateful for one comment that I made to have started a conversation that absolutely needs to be had.

Jessie described Saoirse’s appearance on The Graham Norton Show as “incredibly profound and quite brilliant”, commending her for speaking up.

Saoirse also spoke with Jessie and Lennie about growing up in Ireland, how her parents found themselves living in New York where Saoirse lived until she was three years old, her much-loved mammy Monica, her love of Barry’s Tea, how she met her husband Jack and her experiences being on film sets from a very young age.

Saoirse, who is busy doing promo for her most recent film projects also spoke about her experience acting in Steve McQueen’s Blitz which will be released on Apple TV+ on November 22 and her very own The Outrun which is in cinemas now.

Maura Higgins: I’m scared of everything but I’m A Celeb is ‘pinch-me moment’