Saoirse Ronan Talks Female Action Heroes from "Hanna" to "The Hobbit"

Should you be afraid of Saoirse Ronan? For a tiny girl, she packs a wallop - getting James McAvoy accused of rape in Atonement, haunting Stanley Tucci from beyond the grave in The Lovely Bones, and now killing without remorse in her latest, Hanna. As the title character, Ronan is a genetically modified teen assassin, trained to fight by Eric Bana, but she's been sheltered from civilization until she's sent on her first mission, to go after Cate Blanchett. Will she get the better of her, or will they decide to team up instead on The Hobbit? Ronan talks about learning to fight for Hanna, and how that will help her future roles.

Q: Were you ever a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or River in Firefly/Serenity? There's a bit of both in Hanna...

A: I remember all the kids were running to watch Buffy but me, because it was too violent. But there are certain female action heroes that I love, like Beatrix/The Bride in Kill Bill. I think she’s really interesting, because love is her motivation. And she’s different as well.

Q: And she kicks ass... as does Hanna...

A: That was cool, actually, seeing myself kick ass! I had never seen me fight before.

Q: How did you come up with your fighting style?

A: My trainer designed a very individual fighting style, and there were different moves I learned, but it was put together in a fluid way. So I worked out in the gym for two hours every day, and I got muscle definition – that’s not something I was used to! So I was definitely stronger, and I was starting to hold myself differently, and walk in a different way. It’s a very empowering feeling when you’ve stepped out of the gym after an intense training session.

Q: What were the moves like, when you learned the choreography? Did you feel like you were fighting, or dancing?

A: It felt like I was learning a dance. And sometimes it was tiring, mainly at the end of the day. But it was easier to think of it as dancing and different physical interactions.

Q: But Hanna, not knowing music, wouldn't make that connection...

A: I basically had to wipe my mind clean of any experience I had gone through, or my opinions or outlook on life. And that’s a fantastic exercise. I know she’s a killer, but she’s very pure, very naïve, and when she steps out into the world and has these experiences all of a sudden, she’s not prejudiced. She doesn’t know the difference between beauty and ugliness. And that’s so great. She’s a blank canvas, and you can paint whatever you want on her. I like that she stays the way she is, kind of weird, a freak. I like that.

Q: Did anything you learned prepping for Hanna help you for Violet and Daisy, where you play yet another teen assassin? What is it with you and teen assassins?

A: [Laughs] It did help me, a little bit. But the character I play in that film isn't really kick ass at all. She’s not a natural killer, so only the really the only thing was the handling of the gun, and that was about it.

Q: Does the physicality of Hanna then better prepare you for The Hobbit?

A: Maybe.

Q: Idril, or Itarille, has to dig a tunnel so they can escape, so you could say she's a strong character...

A: How do you know that?! How did you know about that character?!

Q: I'm a Tolkien nerd?

A: Sneaky, sneaky… Well, OK, you worked it out, I guess. I actually don’t know if I’m doing anything in that just yet. Nothing has been confirmed. But I think there will be an awful lot of activity for my character in the film. So the training for Hanna can definitely help. I like the idea of playing other strong female characters like that. I think we need them. Women in particular seem to really respond to them, especially when they’ve got interesting stories.

Q: Are you looking to do anything Irish as well?

A: I want to do something with Jim Sheridan. He’s my absolute dream to work with. I love In the Name of the Father. I think it’s a brilliant film. I got quite emotional when I watched it the first time.