Irish Eye on Hollywood:
Saoirse Ronan’s Royal Turn

Saoirse Ronan may be hoping that English best-selling author Ian McEwan gets her a second Academy Award nomination. Early next year, Ronan will star alongside English actor Bill Howle in the dark romance On Chesil Beach, which had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival back in September. Ronan, of course, burst onto the world stage back in 2007, with her star turn in Atonement, for which she earned an Academy Award nod – and which was also based on an Ian McEwan novel. Before that, Ronan will be seen in Lady Bird, a dark comedy also starring indie darling Greta Gerwig (who also directs) and Laurie Metcalf. Next year, Ronan has The Seagull – based on Chekhov’s play – as well as a full-blown costume drama about Mary Queen of Scots (Ronan plays the title character), also featuring Margot Robbie and Brendan Coyle, of Downton Abbey Fame, whose father was an Irish immigrant to England. ♦