Saoirse (pronounced ‘Ser-sha’) Ronan was born in New York City to Monica and Paul Ronan but was raised in County Carlow, Ireland after moving there when she was three years old, and lives there still. At the age of twelve, she made her major motion picture debut in Joe Wright’s 2007 film adaptation of Ian McEwan’s 2001 novel Atonement, starring alongside James McAvoy and Keira Knightly.
Her stellar work in Atonement earned her nominations for a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her one of the youngest Best Supporting Actress nominees ever. She continued her critically acclaimed work in movies such as City of Ember, The Lovely Bones, The Way Back, and Hanna. News of Saoirse being cast as Melanie Stryder came in early May of 2011.
