Saoirse
Ronan:
Up From the City
by Lynn Barker
 Talented,14-year-old
Irish actress Saoirse (pronounced Sheer-Sha) Ronan amazed Hollywood moguls
and audiences alike when she played young Briony Tallis in the weeper
Atonement which earned her an Oscar nomination. We've spoken
with Saoirse before and found her to be a "real" teen with the
usual energy and angst. We were delighted to chat on the phone with her
a few days ago about her latest film, the sci-fi fantasy adventure City
of Ember based upon the novel by Jeanne Duprau. In "Ember",
Teens Lina (Saoirse) and Doon (cute Harry Treadaway) learn that their
200-year-old, underground city is dying. An ancient generator is on its
last legs then....eternal darkness! Believing that there is a "surface"
and a way out of the city, the brave teens follow clues leading to a new
world above.
Saoirse has
a cool habit of appearing in films adapted from novels and we'll see her
as the lead girl Susie Salmon in Peter Jackson's adaptation of The
Lovely Bones, some time next year. We dished on costumes, fun on
the City of Ember set, boys, music and future projects. Pretend
you hear a lilting Irish accent when Saoirse answers our questions.....
AGW: Lina
is a messenger in the city. What good messages does the movie have for
teens?
Saoirse: I
think the main message is to never give up. Lina always believes that
there is something better than the world that they live in now. She believes
that the people can be happier in a different place and have hope.
AGW: I think
this is your first special effects film; How was running from a scary
giant mole that didn't exist? Was there anything actually on set to represent
the mole (made with CGI later)?
Saoirse: No,
there wasn't. Before we started that whole sequence, Gil [Kenan, the director]
came up to me and said, 'Yeah! I'm going to be the mole. I'm going to
pretend to be the mole'. He was so geared up for it and they told him,
'No, Gil, you can't be the mole'. He was ready and he was going 'roarrrrrrr'!
Scary. Yeah, I don't think Gil could be scary if he tried.
AGW: How did
you like Lina's clothes; her boots and sweater? Did you get to keep anything?
Saoirse: The
jumper and the sweater with lots of colors. I loved that one. I forgot
to ask them for it. I should have. I don't know where it is now; probably
in a City of Ember museum at Walden Media. I don't know whether
I would have worn the boots because they were [made of] this pink rope
that was starting to wear near the end of the movie. I would have liked
the jumper. I would wear that. What she wears is pretty fashionable and
coming back, like the shorts with the tights.
AGW: Lina's
world exists without phones, TV, Blackberries, etc. Could you be happy
there? What would you do to entertain yourself?
Saoirse: Definitely
read. I don't know whether it would be such a bad world if we didn't have
telephones or TVs or laptops or Blackberries or things like that. I love
my laptop and my mobile phone but I could live without them. Obviously,
if I was down there in Ember, I wouldn't know about any of those things
so I suppose I wouldn't really miss them. Lina tends to draw an awful
lot. She loves art. I think I'd probably do stuff like that as well because
I really like art.
AGW: How good
are you at figuring out maps, puzzles and instructions? Lina is pretty
good at it.
Saoirse: She
is. She managed to save the people of Ember! Yeah, I'm pretty good. I
haven't done a puzzle in a good while but I think I'm okay at it.
AGW: Are you
afraid of the dark or were you as a kid?
Saoirse: No
I wasn't but I don't like to be in pitch black because I used to have
this fear that, if you close your eyes and wake up and can't see anything,
you're afraid you've gone blind. That actually helped me when we were
pretending to have black-outs when we were shooting. I do like a little
bit of light in my room.
AGW: The audience
might not know if it was nuclear war or a ruined environment that drove
Mankind underground but, let's say it was a ruined environment. What do
you think teens can do to help heal or save our planet?
Saoirse: Just
know not to waste things. It's so annoying when people waste food. Just
take the amount that you want and, also, don't litter.
AGW: Were
you really on a waterslide ever in that boat in the film? It looked like
a fun water park ride....or was all of that CGI?
Saoirse: I
was really excited when I found out the we were going to be in a water
sequence 'Yes! We get to go on a big slide and be dropped into the water
and everything!' But we didn't get to do any of it. There was one bit
where we all get in the boat at the end and the pipeworks is starting
to flood, just the shot where the boat does down and forward. That's the
only bit we did. There wasn't any water. It's pretty amazing that they
made it look so real.
AGW: How are
you like Lina? How are you different?
Saoirse: I
love to run. I run all over the place. As you know, Lina loves to do that
too and I love art. I love to draw and color and things. I think she's
more creative. In school, she'd prefer art to math. I suppose she has
this view of life that is completely positive. I'd love to be like that
but, obviously, sometimes you're going to be a little bit negative.
AGW: Did you
and Harry have time to meet and get to know each other before filming?
 Saoirse:
We had about a week which was enough really, because we seemed to get
along straightaway. Harry and I have always gotten on and it was very
important, especially for Gil, that the two of us clicked and we did.
We were able to talk about anything, really and he's become a very good
friend of mine.
AGW: Did you
get to hang out off set and do anything fun?
Saoirse: We
didn't really. We were working every day five days a week. But, we're
getting to hang out now!
AGW: What
most impressed you about the massive Ember set? How much was really there?
Saoirse: Basically
it was so real. They really only used CGI to extend it and make it taller
and bigger but basically all of it was real. Martin Laing [Production
Designer] did such an amazing job. It was great to really live in the
set and get to know it so well. It helps as an actress. My house was all
in one place. There was actually a little house built and I got to know
it really well. I'm sure it was the same for Harry as well. We were on
set the most so it was really important that we got to know where everything
was.
AGW: What
music are you listening to now? Do you have a favorite artist?
Saoirse: I
really, really love Fleetwood Mac!
AGW: Wow you
are a retro girl. They've been around forever.
Saoirse: Have
you seen the live performance with Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham
when they sang "Silver Springs" [we indicate we have]. They
used to go out didn't they? But they're friends now. I really love them.
AGW: Speaking
of going out, if a boy is going to be friends with you, what must he never
do or he'll make you mad?
Saoirse: It's
kind of stupid, when I was in primary school and boys would hit you with
the football by accident and they wouldn't say 'sorry', they'd laugh.
What's that all about? Just apologize! I suppose he should listen to what
I have to say and not interrupt me because that is really irritating as
well.
AGW: What
do you hope you'll get to do some day in a film that you haven't yet?
Saoirse: I'd
like to work with kids my own age! I've worked with people who are two
or three years older or younger but I'd like to work with someone who
is 14 and when I'm 15, they're 15.
AGW: You and
Dakota Fanning need to get together then.
Saoirse: Exactly.
I'm going to have to have a meeting with good old Dakota! I haven't met
her or any of those girls but I'd really like to because I feel like I'm
on my own at the moment [Hear that, Dakota? Get in touch with her!]
AGW: Those
girls are out there, like Dakota and Anna-Sophia Robb. They might be just
as lonely in the business as you are.
Saoirse: That's
the thing with kids. Usually, with me, it's the lead so you're around
adults a lot but I'd really, really like to do something with, preferably,
girls my own age. I would be a lot of fun!
AGW: We'd
like to see a movie like that. When is The Lovely Bones coming
out?
Saoirse: It's
not decided just yet but I think it's going to be late next year like
around September.
AGW: You are
in True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle that is also based on
a book. Is she a girl pirate or what?
Saoirse: She
starts off as a lady but she ends up being this pirate, Elizabeth Swan
kind of girl. We haven't started it yet. I don't think I actually have
any sword fighting. It has a lot to do with climbing ropes and hanging
out of ships.
AGW: Sounds
like tons of fun. Finally, what would you tell kids and teens as to why
they should go see City of Ember?
Saoirse: I
think it's very, very exciting and I think you'll really start to connect
with the characters as soon as the story starts to unravel. It's very
interesting and not your typical kids' movie.
Pictures courtesy
of and copyright Fox Walden, 2008 |
