The 15 Best Saoirse Ronan Roles

Saoirse Ronan has built a filmography that stretches across literary adaptations, period epics, thrillers, and off-beat comedies. She has portrayed real historical figures, partnered with major directors, and carried intimate character pieces with the same precision. Across lead and supporting turns, she’s consistently chosen material that lets her switch between Irish and American accents, stage and screen training, and voice work.

This list spotlights her most notable movie and TV performances. For each entry you’ll find what the project is about, who made it, the part she plays, and context like awards recognition, distribution details, and collaborators. It’s a quick way to trace how her career developed from early breakthroughs to ensemble standouts and recent releases.

‘Little Women’ (2019) – Jo March

Written and directed by Greta Gerwig from Louisa May Alcott’s novel, ‘Little Women’ follows the March sisters as they navigate family, ambition, and creative work in Concord and New York. Ronan plays Jo March, an aspiring writer whose storyline tracks her pursuit of publication, her bond with her sisters, and her evolving views on independence and authorship. The ensemble includes Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, and Meryl Streep, with Alexandre Desplat composing the score and Yorick Le Saux as cinematographer.

Ronan’s performance as Jo earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a Golden Globe nomination. The film received multiple Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and was distributed by Sony Pictures. Production took place in Massachusetts, with costume design by Jacqueline Durran winning an Academy Award. The screenplay intercuts timelines, and Ronan’s scenes anchor transitions between the March household and Jo’s professional life in New York.

‘Lady Bird’ (2017) – Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson

Greta Gerwig’s ‘Lady Bird’ is a coming-of-age dramedy centered on a senior at a Catholic high school who self-styles as Lady Bird. Ronan plays the title character opposite Laurie Metcalf as her mother, with supporting roles from Beanie Feldstein, Lucas Hedges, and Timothée Chalamet. Sam Levy served as cinematographer, and Jon Brion composed the music, with A24 handling distribution in North America.

Ronan received the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress. Principal photography took place in and around Sacramento, and the production features location shooting at city landmarks as part of its regional specificity.

‘Brooklyn’ (2015) – Eilis Lacey

Adapted by Nick Hornby from Colm Tóibín’s novel and directed by John Crowley, ‘Brooklyn’ follows Eilis Lacey, a young Irish woman who emigrates to New York and confronts choices about home, family duty, and love. Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, and Julie Walters co-star, with costume design by Odile Dicks-Mireaux and production design by François Séguin guiding the period detail. The film was financed through a UK-Ireland-Canada co-production structure and premiered at a major festival before wider release.

Ronan was nominated for the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Eilis. The production shot in Ireland and Montreal, with sequences doubling for Brooklyn’s streets and department stores. Fox Searchlight managed distribution in multiple territories, and Michael Brook’s score underscores Eilis’s transition between countries and communities.

‘Atonement’ (2007) – Briony Tallis

Based on Ian McEwan’s novel and directed by Joe Wright, ‘Atonement’ spans decades as it tracks the consequences of a false accusation made by Briony Tallis. Ronan plays Briony in her early adolescence, with Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave portraying the character later in life. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy star in the central romance, with Seamus McGarvey as cinematographer and Dario Marianelli composing an Oscar-winning score.

Ronan earned Academy Award, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress for this performance. The film was produced by Working Title and features a noted continuous-take sequence on the Dunkirk beach. Its narrative structure divides among the Tallis estate, wartime Europe, and a London hospital, with Ronan’s section establishing the event that drives the story’s repercussions.

‘Hanna’ (2011) – Hanna

Directed by Joe Wright, ‘Hanna’ blends action and coming-of-age elements as a raised-off-the-grid teenager is trained by her father to be an assassin. Ronan plays the title role opposite Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett, with Jessica Barden and Tom Hollander in supporting parts. Alwin H. Küchler served as cinematographer, and The Chemical Brothers provided an electronic score that shapes the film’s pacing.

The production shot across Finland, Germany, and Morocco, using practical locations for chase sequences and underground facilities. Focus Features handled U.S. distribution. Ronan performed extensive physical preparation, including fight choreography and running sequences, integrated with the director’s use of long takes and stylized staging.

‘The Lovely Bones’ (2009) – Susie Salmon

Peter Jackson directed and co-wrote this adaptation of Alice Sebold’s novel, with Ronan as Susie Salmon, a teenager narrating events after her death. The cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci, and Susan Sarandon. Andrew Lesnie served as cinematographer, and Brian Eno composed the score, while Weta Digital created visualizations of the story’s afterlife sequences.

Ronan received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress for her performance as Susie. The film was produced by DreamWorks and distributed by Paramount. Principal photography took place in Pennsylvania and New Zealand, and the production design juxtaposes suburban settings with digitally realized metaphysical landscapes central to Susie’s narration.

‘Mary Queen of Scots’ (2018) – Mary Stuart

Directed by Josie Rourke, ‘Mary Queen of Scots’ dramatizes the political struggle between Mary Stuart and Elizabeth I. Ronan plays Mary, while Margot Robbie portrays Elizabeth, supported by Guy Pearce, Jack Lowden, and David Tennant. Max Richter composed the score, and John Mathieson served as cinematographer, with costume and hair design emphasizing court iconography and statecraft.

Ronan’s portrayal centers Mary’s claims to the English throne, her marriages, and her conflict with Protestant nobles. Focus Features distributed the film, which received Oscar nominations for Makeup and Hairstyling and for Costume Design. Location shooting in Scotland and England emphasized castles and highland terrain, integrating Gaelic and French elements in dialogue and court scenes.

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014) – Agatha

Wes Anderson’s ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ follows concierge Gustave H. and lobby boy Zero through a murder mystery in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka. Ronan plays Agatha, a skilled pastry chef who becomes Zero’s partner, with a cast led by Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori and including Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, and Willem Dafoe. Robert Yeoman handled cinematography, with Alexandre Desplat composing an Oscar-winning score.

The production used miniature models, stop-motion elements, and precise aspect-ratio changes to delineate narrative layers. Ronan appears in sequences involving Mendl’s bakery and prison-break planning. The film won Academy Awards for Production Design, Costume Design, Make-up and Hairstyling, and Original Score, and it was distributed by Fox Searchlight.

‘Ammonite’ (2020) – Charlotte Murchison

Written and directed by Francis Lee, ‘Ammonite’ is set in Lyme Regis and centers on fossil hunter Mary Anning. Ronan plays Charlotte Murchison, a young woman who stays with Anning for convalescence and becomes a key presence in her life. Kate Winslet stars as Anning, with cinematography by Stéphane Fontaine and music by Volker Bertelmann and Dustin O’Halloran.

The production shot on the Jurassic Coast with emphasis on coastal geology, museum practice, and period scientific networks. NEON distributed the film in North America. Ronan’s role engages with medical treatment of melancholy, class status, and the circulation of fossils in emerging natural-history institutions, depicted through fieldwork and collection scenes.

‘On Chesil Beach’ (2017) – Florence Ponting

Dominic Cooke directs this adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novella, with a screenplay by the author. Ronan plays Florence Ponting, a classical musician whose marriage to Edward Mayhew encounters challenges tied to social expectations and personal history. Billy Howle co-stars, with supporting roles from Anne-Marie Duff, Adrian Scarborough, and Emily Watson.

The film was produced by Number 9 Films and BBC Films and distributed by Bleecker Street in the U.S. and Lionsgate in the UK and Ireland. It features performance sequences for a string quartet, location work on the Dorset coastline, and period-accurate interiors that frame the couple’s courtship and wedding-night conversations.

‘The Seagull’ (2018) – Nina Zarechnaya

Michael Mayer’s ‘The Seagull’ adapts Anton Chekhov’s play for the screen. Ronan portrays Nina Zarechnaya, an aspiring actor entangled with Konstantin Treplyov and writer Boris Trigorin. The ensemble includes Annette Bening, Corey Stoll, and Elisabeth Moss, with Tracy Letts as Sorin and costume design by Ann Roth.

Filmed primarily in New York state, the production presents the country-estate setting across lakeside stages and rehearsal spaces. Sony Pictures Classics distributed the film. Ronan’s scenes include monologues and rehearsal passages that track Nina’s artistic ambitions, professional setbacks, and evolving sense of identity within the play’s theater milieu.

‘See How They Run’ (2022) – Constable Stalker

Tom George directs this whodunit set around a West End theater production tied to a famous mystery writer. Ronan plays Constable Stalker, a rookie police officer working alongside Sam Rockwell’s Inspector Stoppard as they investigate a backstage murder. The cast features Adrien Brody, Harris Dickinson, Ruth Wilson, and Reece Shearsmith, with music by Daniel Pemberton.

Searchlight Pictures distributed the film. Production took place across London theaters and sound stages, incorporating prop-handling, rehearsal rooms, and reference to licensing restrictions around stage works. Ronan’s character tracks suspects through interviews and site visits, using note-taking, procedural steps, and theater-layout details to map the case.

‘The Secret World of Arrietty’ (2010) – Arrietty (voice)

This Studio Ghibli feature, directed in its original Japanese release by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and adapted from Mary Norton’s ‘The Borrowers’, follows tiny “Borrowers” who live hidden within a human household. Ronan provides the English-language voice of Arrietty for the UK and Irish dub, while Bridgit Mendler voices Arrietty in the U.S. dub. The story tracks Arrietty’s contact with a human boy and the risks of being discovered.

The English dub sessions localized names and dialogue rhythm while keeping Joe Hisaishi’s score and the film’s hand-drawn animation intact. Ronan’s voice work covers stealth sequences, family discussions about relocation, and exchanges about Borrower rules. Release patterns varied by territory, with theatrical distribution coordinated by regional partners.

‘The Way Back’ (2010) – Irena

Directed by Peter Weir, ‘The Way Back’ dramatizes a group of prisoners who escape from a Siberian labor camp and make a long journey on foot. Ronan plays Irena, a Polish teenager the group encounters, whose background includes displacement and survival apart from family. The cast includes Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, and Colin Farrell, with cinematography by Russell Boyd.

The production shot in Bulgaria, Morocco, and India to represent forests, deserts, and mountains. National Geographic Films was involved in distribution. Ronan’s character functions as a narrative catalyst who shares information about local conditions and provides a different perspective on the group’s route, contributing to scenes that cross borders and climate zones.

‘Loving Vincent’ (2017) – Marguerite Gachet (voice)

‘Loving Vincent’ is a painted-animation feature from Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman that investigates the final weeks of Vincent van Gogh’s life. Ronan voices Marguerite Gachet, a key figure connected to van Gogh’s doctor, in an English-language cast that includes Douglas Booth, Chris O’Dowd, and Helen McCrory. The film’s visuals were created by artists painting frame-by-frame in oils to match van Gogh’s style.

The project combined live-action reference shoots with oil-paint animation across specialized studios in Poland and the UK. BreakThru Films and Trademark Films produced the feature, and distribution included art-house circuits internationally. Ronan’s voice performance appears in interview-style scenes that piece together timelines, relationships, and locations tied to van Gogh’s final days.

Share your picks for Saoirse Ronan’s best roles in the comments—what would you add or swap?