At the age of 23, Saoirse Ronan already has two Academy Award nominations as a lead actress, including for "Lady Bird"; Barack and Michelle Obama's official portraits have people talking; inside an audition for "America's Got Talent."
Saoirse Ronan on accents, acne and the compassionate filmmaking behind ‘Lady Bird'
The film “Lady Bird” has gotten a lot of praise for the first-time directing effort of actress Greta Gerwig.
But the movie is also another major step in the career of 23-year-old Irish actress Saoirse Ronan.
The film explores the relationship between Ronan’s angsty teenaged character — who prefers to be called Lady Bird — and her strong-willed mother, played by Laurie Metcalf. The story is set in Gerwig’s hometown of Sacramento.
Ronan's performance in "Lady Bird" has given her a third Academy Award nomination. Her first was for supporting actress in "Atonement" (2008). Her first nomination as lead actress was for "Brooklyn" (2016).
If you saw Ronan’s performance in “Brooklyn,” her Irish immigrant character’s lilting accent in that film was the real thing. So when The Frame's John Horn met up with Ronan, he started by asking how she pulled off sounding like a teenaged girl from Sacramento.
Interview Highlights:
On speaking with a Californian accent:
It was tough actually because the California accent is quite laid back. And the muscles I am using every time I use my Irish accent is ridiculous. It's so muscular. It's the same with French as well. It's a really muscular accent, whereas with Sacramento and Californian, it's understandable — they're in the sun, they're in the desert. It's very laid back.
On having acne at the time of filming:
I had just done all the "Brooklyn" press. Then I went straight into "The Crucible," which I had been nervous about for a year prior, because I had never done a play before. I'd always had good skin and then I just started to break out. I'd never had acne before and then when it came to doing "Lady Bird," and when the hair and makeup people said to me, Would you mind if maybe we didn't cover the spots up so much? And I thought that [was] a perfect opportunity to depict a real teenage girl. So I didn't mind doing that at all. But that's my skin.
On filming the scene where she argues with her mother before jumping out of the car:
Laurie and I had essentially done all of our scenes together and laid the groundwork for this opening scene, which out of any other scene between them says everything about their relationship at that point. It was down to Greta, obviously, but also our first [assistant director] Jonas [Spaccarotelli] was so clever about how he would schedule the shoot. He would take into account, emotionally, if we were going to end at a certain place on this day, we [wouldn't] want to start the next day in this place emotionally. He was incredibly considerate. And it meant that when we went to do that scene, we probably didn't have that long to do it. But we got in the car, they locked us in, and we just clicked into it straight away.
On working on a production with a supportive team:
It is extraordinary. It makes you feel safe and protected. I think sometimes actors can be mollycoddled, but I do think there's a certain amount of safety that they need to feel sometimes in order to do their best in the right way, in relation to work, as opposed to picking out purple M&Ms for them and putting them in their trailer. But everyone emotionally was invested in it, whether it was our gaffer, me or the [assistant directors], everyone had this common goal. And, actually, you don't always get that.
On Greta Gerwig creating a female-driven coming-of-age story:
I feel like I can speak for her in the sense that she wants to write someone interesting. I know when she was developing this, the coming-of-age stories that she kept gravitating towards were the male ones — "400 Blows" and things like that — films about young boys finding themselves. Because usually when we see males on screen, they're completely autonomous and it's very much about them and the world that they're in. We don't always see that with women.
On this film being important to the conversation around women in Hollywood:
Everything that's happening right now, with all these accusations that are coming out and the amount of victims that finally feel like they're able to come forward, it is horrible and tragic. But, I have to say, it's quite inspiring. Even now, as a young woman, to be out here and to see the bravery that's come from these people. The thing that I hope doesn't happen is that it's seen as a hot topic that people don't talk about in a few weeks. It needs to keep being the conversation.
On starting a new production and making sure that a film's cast and crew are trustworthy:
It comes from the top, really. It has to come from the producers and the director. I know for Greta even, it was very important that you are on a union film and that you're working with people who are experienced and have earned their stripes. It's not just about the work that they do, but it's about the type of person that they are. I've been around a couple of guys recently who were incredibly chauvinistic, and it's toxic to be around. It's very disheartening, as someone who has worked in this industry for so long and has worked hard to be here.
On how women actors rarely get to work with other women in the industry:
[We] don't get to do the same stuff, no. And then what happens is the seed of competition is planted. Whether it's an actor or a producer or a writer, we're not given as much of a chance to be the boss. If a woman's got an input, it's probably only going to be one or two females and that's it. One of the things I loved about something like "Big Little Lies" is that Reese [Witherspoon] and Nicole [Kidman] and all these great girls came along and they were like, You know what, I love this person — I love Laura Dern. I want to get all of us together and we're all going to have equally brilliant roles where we all have something to say and we all have a time to shine. And it's true. Again, part of the culture is that we don't realize that we've all had conversations about films where maybe there's two girls in it and we'll go, Yeah, yeah they were good. But this one was better. But this role was better. Whereas with a show like ["Big Little Lies"], you couldn't pick one that was more interesting over the other because they all had something to say.
Inside an audition for 'America's Got Talent'
Fame? Exposure? A million dollars? Why do people want to be on the NBC reality series, "America's Got Talent"?
The show holds open auditions in cities all over the country. Whoever aces the audition has a chance to make it to the actual show. On a recent Saturday at the Pasadena Convention Center, thousands of people gathered their guitars and gorilla suits in hopes of being chosen.
On the audition website, "America's Got Talent" judge and creator Simon Cowell has four tips for hopeful contestants:
1. Be original.
2. Don’t be boring.
3. Stand out from the crowd.
4. Be fearless.
Here are just a handful of some people in Pasadena who were hoping to get on the show.
"Well, I kind of have stage fright and I get really nervous, which is kind of, like, weird, you know, because I’m here at 'America's Got Talent'," said 16-year-old Andrea Alonso. "I mean, I think I’ll do well. Just get past the nerves."
Inside the convention hall, it’s clear everyone here has an act. Get Down District is a team of young dancers from Rosemead, California. Their dance specialty is "waacking." Andrew Wheeler is an elementary school librarian from Midway City. As a "gorilla-gician," he performs magic tricks while wearing a gorilla suit.
"It’s my dream to be the first 'gorilla-gician' to ever make it in the human world," Wheeler said.
There are also lots of singers, many of whom are young girls. Past winners include Grace Vanderwaal, who won at age 12, and Darci Lynne Farmer, who won at age 11. Brooklyn Bradford is 14 and hopes to join their ranks. She’s born and raised in Pasadena.
"Singing has been something I’ve wanted to do my whole life," Bradford said. "Everybody has a background story. And this could be part of mine because, whether I win or I lose, this would be a good place to start."
Brooklyn's father Derrick Bradford, says she watches "America's Got Talent" non-stop and has always wanted to audition.
"I think she’s ready to go out here and give it her best," Bradford said. "This is my daughter, I love her to death."
Brooklyn said she wants to heal people with her music and she’s motivated by a near-death experience. She once got a concussion while playing with a friend in a pool. She could have drowned if a stranger hadn’t saved her. The moment changed her life.
"That whole situation just kind of helped me to see, like, any moment can be your last," she said. "So I think that it’s really important that I take every chance that I get and I do my best at every opportunity that I have."
Everyone at the audition had a story. And these stories come from all over the country. Andrea Alonso drove with her whole family for 12 hours from Idaho Falls, Idaho.
"I’m with my mom and my dad, and my little sister, my older sister, my brother-in-law, and my nephew. They’ve always supported me in everything I do," Alonso said. "Maybe one day, I just want to sing in front of a big crowd."
Brenda Calhoun, or G-Ma, the rapping grandma, was there for the fame. "If I can get on one show on TV," Calhoun said. "Exposure."
And bugle musician Tim Park said he was there for "the opportunity to possibly win a million dollars."
But before anyone can realize their hopes, dreams, fame, and fortune, they’re going to have to wait. Hopeful performers waited for hours before they got their chance in front of an "America's Got Talent" producer. Then they had all of 90 seconds to strut their stuff.
After her audition, Brooklyn Bradford was confident in her performance.
"I feel like I did a good job," she said. "After I had finished singing, I went to go sit down [and] everybody was clapping. And people were telling me I did really good."
Her father agreed.
"I'm a little biased but I don’t think they could deny it. She went in there and did her thing," he said. "She has talent!"
Brooklyn and the other performers won’t know if they make it to the next round for at least a few weeks. So for now, she and her dad headed home where they’ll wait some more. Whether or not she gets called back, she said she’ll keep singing.