Saoirse Ronan, best known for her acclaimed performances in the drama movies Lady Bird and Little Women, almost had a magical credit to her name. It turns out that back when the star was 13, she auditioned for a part in the Harry Potter movie, the Order of the Phoenix, a job that, at the time, she considered to be a dream gig.
Saoirse Ronan Getty images A role in the record breaking “Harry Potter” films would have been a dream come true for any child actor in the past decade. Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan admits that despite her success, she is no different.
But if things had gone differently, Saoirse Ronan could have landed the role. In a 2011 interview with a gossip blog, Ronan explained that she actually auditioned to play Luna, a fan-favorite character in the Harry Potter franchise, and she was sad when she didn’t get it.
Ronan made her screen debut on Irish national broadcaster RTÉ, in the 2003 prime time medical drama The Clinic and then appeared in the mini-serial Proof. During the same time, Ronan auditioned to play Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a role she eventually lost to Evanna Lynch.
A role in the record breaking “Harry Potter” films would have been a dream come true for any child actor in the A role in the record breaking “Harry Potter” films would have been a dream come true for any child actor in the past decade. Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan admits that despite her success, she is no different.
Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan admits that despite her success, she is no different. The teenager, now 17, auditioned for the part five years ago. “I was too young – but at the time I thought, ‘I’d love to be in Harry Potter’.
Where is Saoirse Ronan from?
Saoirse Una Ronan was born on 12 April 1994 in the Bronx borough of New York City, to Irish parents Monica (née Brennan) and Paul Ronan, both from Dublin. Her father worked in construction and bar work before training as an actor in New York, and her mother worked as a nanny, but had also acted as a child. Her parents were initially undocumented immigrants who had left Ireland due to the recession of the 1980s, and struggled economically during their time in New York. The family moved back to Dublin when Ronan was three years old. She was raised for a short time in Ardattin, County Carlow, where she attended Ardattin National School. Her parents later had her tutored privately at home. In her early teens, she was living again in Dublin with her parents, who settled in the seaside village of Howth. She was raised Catholic, but says she questioned her faith even as a child.
Her parents were initially undocumented immigrants who had left Ireland due to the recession of the 1980s, and struggled economically during their time in New York. The family moved back to Dublin when Ronan was three years old.
Peter Jackson approached Ronan to play an elf in The Hobbit film series, but she withdrew from the project due to scheduling conflicts. She was instead drawn to Neil Jordan ‘s horror film Byzantium (2012), as the “dark, gothic and twisted” project provided her an opportunity to play a more complex and mature character.
Once again, she earned Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role. At 25 years and six months of age, Ronan is the second youngest person to accrue four Academy Award nominations, behind only American actress Jennifer Lawrence.
The film was a box office disappointment, but earned Ronan a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role nomination.
During the same time, Ronan auditioned to play Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a role she eventually lost to Evanna Lynch. Ronan’s first film was Amy Heckerling ‘s romantic comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman, which was filmed in 2005.
On stage, Ronan portrayed Abigail Williams in the 2016 Broadway revival of The Crucible. In the same year, she was featured by Forbes in two of their 30 Under 30 lists. In 2020, The New York Times ranked her tenth on its list of the greatest actors of the twenty-first century.
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What did Saoirse Ronan say about her mother?
“My mam was brilliant. Everyone loved my mam,” Ronan revealed. She continued, saying, “She was always fiercely protective of my rights.”.
Afp/Getty Images. During a January 2019 interview on The Graham Norton Show, Saoirse Ronan revealed an exciting prize she’d won in her youth — a trip to Florida.
Her family eventually moved back to Ireland when Ronan was 3 years old. However, the path back home was riddled with hardships. “They had nothing, and they were illegal for a few years so they couldn’t leave because they wouldn’t be allowed back in,” Ronan revealed.
One scene in the music video features Ronan writing “Galway Grill” on Sheeran’s arm, only for the singer-songwriter to have her handwriting permanently inked on his skin by a tattoo artist with a misspelling. “It wasn’t my idea to do the bad spelling,” Ronan insisted during her appearance on The Graham Norton Show.
Compared to some of today’s most celebrated actresses, Saoirse Ronan is a bit of a newcomer. However, the Brooklyn star has stayed consistent throughout the course of her young career — both in her powerhouse performances and in the roles she chooses to tackle.
While Saoirse Ronan certainly loves her job, she doesn’t discount the fact that acting is indeed work. That said, Ronan delights in the work she does, and she never takes for granted the career she dreamed of having as little girl. In an 2018 interview with Vogue, Ronan revealed, ” [Acting is] very intimate.”.
Saoirse Ronan auditioned for this fan-favorite Harry Potter character. Afp/Getty Images. The Harry Potter franchise has captured the imaginations of children and adults alike since the first book in the series was released in 1997.
Who plays Dumbledore in Highlander?
8 Sean Connery As Dumbledore. The role of Dumbledore was offered to Sean Connery before Richard Harris was cast, but he turned it down. Despite his appearances in Highlander and Dragonheart, Connery reportedly doesn’t like the fantasy genre.
9 Robin Williams As Hagrid. When a film adaptation of the Harry Potter books was initially in development, Robin Williams expressed interest in playing Hagrid. However, in handing over the film rights to an American studio, J.K. Rowling had insisted on an all-British cast, so Williams was turned down. This is the same reason why Rosie O’Donnell and …
When J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series became a crossover hit and captivated readers across the world, Hollywood was quick to come a-knocking. The toughest casting challenge when the Harry Potter movie adaptations first went into development was finding three child actors who could carry an eight-part blockbuster franchise …
When Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was in pre-production, fans campaigned for Henry Cavill to be cast as Cedric Diggory. However, the producers ignored this and cast Robert Pattinson instead.
Jude Law got pretty far into the casting process for Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but was ultimately bumped from the shortlist when he was deemed too young. He would, of course, go on to play a young Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
After landing the trifecta of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, the Harry Potter producers still had plenty of roles to fill, so many different actors came and went from their production offices over the years. So, here are 10 actors who were almost cast in Harry Potter movies.
7 Tilda Swinton As Professor Trelawney. Before Emma Thompson was cast to play Professor Trelawney in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the producers approached Tilda Swinton. At the time, Swinton said she turned it down because of scheduling conflicts, but she’s since admitted that she’s not a Harry Potter fan.
