Is Saoirse Ronan Hollywood’s most outspoken star? What actress has stated about Trump’s ‘barbaric’ gun legal guidelines and abortion – and why she’s terrified of being shot in a cinema within the US
Saoirse Ronan silenced the male celebrity guests on the Graham Norton Show after her powerful reminder about violence against women.
The Irish actress, 30, set social media alight after she interjected Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne as they made a joke about self-defence.
However this isn’t the first time the Outrun star has spoken her mind after previously weighing in on important topics including American politics, reproductive rights and sexual harassment.
With the US election only a week away, Saoirse branded Donald Trump as ‘barbaric’ as she explained why she and her friends don’t feel safe in America.
The star was born in New York and lived in the Bronx until she was three years old when the family moved back to Ireland.
From branding Trump ‘barbaric’ to admitting her fears of gun crime and supporting abortion all the times Saoirse Ronan has weighed in on politics and reproductive rights
The Irish actress, 30, silenced the male celebrity guests on the Graham Norton Show after her powerful reminder about violence against women on Friday
Speaking to the Variety Awards Circuit podcast at the weekend, Saoirse said she ‘will absolutely be voting for the right person in this election’, as she referred to the Democratic nominee and current vice president, Kamala Harris.
She explained: ‘I don’t feel safe here anymore. I go into a cinema here when I’m doing a Q&A to promote a movie that I’m in and I’m not sure if someone’s going to pull a gun out.’
The star continued: ‘It’s in your head. That’s an awful feeling. It’s an awful feeling for me to know that my best friends who have just started to have children aren’t feeling 100pc safe about sending their kids to school in case they get shot at five-years-old.
‘There’s friends of mine who are thinking about buying bulletproof backpacks for their children to keep them safe. That’s barbaric and he [Donald Trump] has done this.’
Discussing the influence America has over the rest of the world, Saoirse revealed the ripple effect having someone like Trump has on the rest of the world.
She said: ‘I think what happened the first time around was that it opened the floodgates for people who have a very unhealthy mentality, an incredibly racist, bigoted view on people who aren’t them.
‘The idea of the “other” became so prominent and became so toxic, and we’re even seeing it now in Ireland which I never thought would be the case. It’s had such a domino effect on every other place around.’
In 2015 the star was very vocal of her support in support of same sex marriage in Ireland as she described it as a chance to change things that were ‘backward and dated’
She stood in solidarity with the Time’s Up movement after she wore black to the 2018 Golden Globes to protest against sexual harassment
Saoirse was forthright about her feminist convictions ahead of Ireland’s abortion referendum in 2018 as she appeared in a video for a national campaign to remove the eighth amendment
Referring to having her own children in the future she added: ‘If my kid comes to me and says that he or she is gay, I want them to have the same rights as anyone else’
She added: ‘The US used to be progressive in a lot of ways but to see that taking such a backpedalling when it comes to reproductive rights of course and minorities literally feeling they could be attacked at any point, they could be killed at any point, they are in serious danger’.
‘There’s Asian American women that I work with who I’m really close to who feel like they can’t go to New York anymore which is a place they used to live in, they used to feel safe in, because they’re just randomly getting attacked in the street for f***ing TikTok, for content.’
While overturning of Roe v Wade struck a chord with Saoirse, she was also forthright about her feminist convictions ahead of Ireland’s abortion referendum in 2018.
The actress appeared in a video for a national campaign to remove the eighth amendment, which outlawed women from seeking an abortion, from the constitution.
Speaking to Irish writer Sally Rooney in Vogue around the time of the referendum the author asked Saoirse if she ever worried about facing backlash for speaking her mind on the divisive issue.
‘I just felt like that wasn’t important,’ explained Saoirse, ‘I know people who had to travel abroad in order to get an abortion, and that’s when I knew I would speak out.’
She added: ‘The older I get, the more in touch I am with what activists are doing – and the more I want to help them.’
Appearing on Lorraine she explained: ‘I am fully in support of the Yes vote a lot of people I know are.
‘There’s so many people every day that have to travel abroad to have an abortion and this will just give people the choice and give women full right and ownership over their body.
‘The youth of Ireland are so incredible… I do believe we will make the right choice.’
Appearing on Lorraine she explained: ‘I am fully in support of the Yes vote a lot of people I know are. There’s so many people every day that have to travel abroad to have an abortion and this will just give people the choice and give women full right and ownership over their body’
Saoirse made an impact in her own industry after she joined more than 190 female entertainment stars demanding the eradication of sexual harassment (pictured with Greta Gerwig in 2018)
Saoirse set social media alight after she interjected Denzel Washington , Paul Mescal and Eddie Redmayne as they made a joke about self-defence
Meanwhile back in 2015 she was very vocal of her support in support of same sex marriage in Ireland.
Speaking at the Your Yes Matters Get Out The Vote campaign launch when she was just 21-years-old, Saoirse said it was a chance for her generation to create a fair and equal society and change things that were ‘backward and dated’.
She said at the time: ‘I’m really excited about it and honoured my first vote is going to be a Yes for marriage equality.
‘If it’s a Yes vote it means we’re standing with the best of them. We’re forward-thinking, we’re fair, we’re just and we’re equal.’
Referring to having her own children in the future she added: ‘If my kid comes to me and says that he or she is gay, I want them to have the same rights as anyone else.’
The star also voiced her support in 2016 for the illegal takeover of an empty building in Dublin’s city center to accommodate the homeless.
Saoirse has also made an impact in her own industry after she joined more than 190 female entertainment stars demanding the eradication of sexual harassment from across all industries.
Campaigning ahead of the 2018 BAFTA film awards, Saoirse joined stars including Emma Thompson, Emma Watson and Naomie Harris to sign an open letter as part of the Time’s Up movement, calling for an end to harassment, abuse, and impunity in a world ‘ripe for change’.
She also stood in solidarity with the movement after she wore black to the 2018 Golden Globes to protest against sexual harassment to raise awareness for Time’s Up.
Speaking about her decision to stand with the movement she said: ‘It is the most important thing, and I’ve never felt so encouraged and inspired and supported to use whatever voice I have and for all of these people, men and women.
‘To be able come together and use their influence and to open up the conversation and raise awareness and support anyone who’s gone through, or anyone that has questioned their safety or their stance when they’re on set — I think it’s invaluable and paramount that this happens now.’
