After making powerful statements about violence against women on The Graham Norton Show, Saoirse Ronan’s subsequent words on female relationships and empowerment have received more attention. The actress, 30, made a big statement when she was the sole woman on an all-male panel that featured Eddie Redmayne, Paul Mescal, and Denzel Washington.
Redmayne talked about his self-defense training for the upcoming miniseries The Day of the Jackal, where he learnt how to protect oneself with a phone in the event of an assault. The notion was mockingly rejected by Mescal, who remarked, “Who is really going to consider that? I would never go “phone” if I were attacked. With a mocking imitation of brandishing a phone as a weapon, Norton joined in the laughing.
Ronan interrupted the laughs to highlight the situation for women, saying, “That’s what girls have to think about all the time.” After her frank remark briefly surprised the panel, she questioned the audience, “Am I right, ladies?” Those in attendance gave this a hearty round of applause.
Previously, in September 2023, Ronan spoke about the importance of female empowerment and helping other women in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. While filming in the Orkneys in 2022, she recalled a particularly memorable moment when the female cast and crew took a skinny dip at daybreak and then had in-depth discussions.
Ronan characterized that encounter as “beautiful,” emphasizing the “strong female energy” that pervaded their surroundings. Although she admitted that female relationships are complicated and that “women can practically kill each other,” she also underlined the value of having supportive women in one’s life, saying, “When you’ve got other women on your side, they will defend you like nothing else.”
She received a ton of appreciation on social media after her impactful appearance on The Graham Norton Show. Many users praised her for being prepared to talk about the subject; one user wrote, “Saoirse Ronan gagging men we love to see it.” As one user put it, she was “a queen,” and males need to be reminded of women’s experiences in order to truly understand their privileges.
Many users remarked on the significant silence that came after Ronan’s remarks, identifying it as an indication of men’s ignorance of gender-related issues. One person claimed that the scene encapsulated “men being ignorant of male privilege in a nutshell” and underlined how important it is to draw attention to these issues.
One person wrote, “I admire Saoirse Ronan so much.” Others praised Ronan’s candor regarding women’s ongoing need to consider self-defense. The applause she received after speaking up was appreciated, and they reinforced her feeling that women must continuously navigate these realities.
The panel discussion’s dynamics irritated several viewers, who pointed out that Ronan appeared to have to struggle for her voice in front of a group of men who were laughing. According to one user, this scenario exemplified the problem at hand, which is the challenge women encounter in getting their voices heard in male-dominated discussions.
Ronan’s next military drama film, Blitz, will be released in theaters on November 1 and streamed on Apple TV+ on November 22. Ronan is now promoting it. Stephen Graham, Paul Weller, Kathy Burke, Harris Dickinson, Benjamin Clémentine, and Elliott Heffernan are among the film’s impressive cast members.
Blitz, which was directed by Steven McQueen, tells the tales of Londoners amid the devastating World War II bombs. In the movie, Ronan plays Rita, a mother navigating the difficulties and turmoil of wartime London while parenting her nine-year-old son George (played by Heffernan).
