Saoirse Ronan Says She’d “Love” to Direct and Shares the Advice Greta Gerwig Gave Her

As a cinephile who has been captivated by Saoirse Ronan‘s mesmerizing performances for years, it is truly heartening to witness her evolution as not just an actress, but as a storyteller. Her decision to delve into directing, fueled by the wisdom of Greta Gerwig, promises a new chapter in her already impressive career. The passion and dedication she demonstrated while producing “The Outrun” are testament to her resilience and unyielding commitment to independent filmmaking.


Actress Saoirse Ronan has expressed readiness to venture into film direction, and she’s been imparting wisdom from her regular collaborator, Greta Gerwig, regarding this new endeavor.

Thirty-year-old actress, currently starring in and producing the Sony Pictures Classics movie titled ‘The Outrun’, expressed her ambition to delve deeper into roles behind the camera following her initial foray into production. During the premiere of the film in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, she stated to The Hollywood Reporter that she’d be thrilled to direct in the future.

She shared, “I’ve always been deeply interested in this, and Greta suggested I should explore the preliminary stages to determine if it catches my attention because that’s where the most challenging work is. Through that experience, I learned a lot about making tough decisions early on, which boosted both my confidence and my role as a storyteller being involved so early in the project.

The Oscar-nominated actress takes on the role of a young Scottish woman fighting addiction in the film “The Outrun“, which is adapted from Amy Liptrot’s memoir. Saoirse Ronan, who also collaborated with Liptrot on the script, was captivated by her writing and the way it portrayed an addiction story as something far more complex.

Playing “The Outrun” has truly been a life-changing journey for me, a gamer here. “It’s not just about winning or losing,” I’d say, “it’s about the knowledge you gain from the process, the victories and the setbacks.” This game has given me a deeper respect for independent filmmaking. It’s challenging to see projects come to fruition, especially when it takes an excruciatingly long time to get most things off the ground.

Ronan mentioned that each day, there’s no certainty about surviving until the next one. The producer described the task of launching the movie as a “tough hurdle”, but he praised the team involved, stating they were accustomed to operating under such conditions and were simply fantastic.

The setting of the movie, Scotland, holds a significant and emotional value for Ronan. She expressed, “It’s a place I have a deep affection for,” further explaining that the film’s content resonates deeply with her on a personal level. “To witness it being portrayed in this manner, in such an original way, felt incredibly refreshing to me.

Ronan remarked, “If we manage to make it work as an adaption, it could turn out to be something truly extraordinary.

The Outrun is now in theaters.

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2024-10-04 22:58