Saoirse Ronan, a four-time Oscar nominee, has become synonymous with her roles in critically acclaimed films like Lady Bird and Brooklyn. But Ronan recently revealed that her impressive career almost took a different turn, had she landed a role in the Harry Potter franchise.
During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Ronan shared that she auditioned for the role of Luna Lovegood, a popular character known for her eccentric personality and unwavering loyalty to her friends. While Ronan was an unknown, up-and-coming actress at the time, she has since gone on to become a four-time Oscar-nominated performer, known for starring in Indie hits like Lady Bird and Brooklyn, and adaptations of the beloved novels Little Women and Atonement.
While she didn't earn a spot among Hogwarts' alumni, Ronan shouldn't be too upset considering her incredible career as an actress, and now as a producer. Ronan stars in and produces the new movie The Outrun, adapted from the novel by Amy Liptrot. Like much of Ronan's filmography, The Outrun is noticeably darker than Harry Potter (even the last few movies which were literally dark), and follows Rona (Ronan) on her long and difficult journey to recover from alcoholism.
Ronan recalled the casting process for the movie and admitted that she knew the part would go to someone else. "I had gone up for Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter years ago," Ronan began. The actress joked that she secured an audition for the role because Luna Lovegood is one of the few Irish characters, and said "like half of Ireland [had] to come and audition." Ultimately, the role went to Evanna Lynch, who has since become synonymous with the character. But Ronan knew she wouldn't get the part. She continued:
"And I knew I wasn’t going to get it ’cause I was too young, but I got to read out a scene that was gonna be in Harry Potter, and it was the coolest thing ever."
Ronan's admission that she auditioned for the role comes as a surprise to many fans, who are now likely imagining a world where Ronan, not Lynch, embodies the quirky, bookish, and ultimately endearing character of Luna Lovegood. However, Ronan's illustrious career has proven that her talent lies in bringing complex, nuanced characters to life, and that she didn't need the Harry Potter franchise to achieve success.
Despite rubbing shoulders with the stars, and being an A-list actress herself, Saoirse Ronan couldn't help but embrace her inner Harry Potter nerd after a surprise meeting with Emma Watson, who played Hermoine Granger in the movies. Speaking to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Ronan said that she doesn't hold a grudge against the franchise for not getting the role, and that Harry Potter was a significant part of her childhood. "I told Emma [Watson] that years later," she said. During their encounter, Ronan became overwhelmed with emotion about the franchise, and couldn't help but remind Watson about the significance of her part in the Harry Potter universe. She joked:
"I grabbed her by the shoulders one day and I was like, 'Do you know what you mean to us?! What your movies mean to us?!'"
The loss of a British cinema and television icon has seen many tributes being made from friends, colleagues, and fans.
