Saoirse Ronan has been nominated for an Oscar several times over the course of her successful career, but she’s yet to actually receive the prestigious award. The actress first rose to fame in Joe Wright’s Atonement in 2007, though her career as a child actress had begun several years prior. From there, she grew steadily more popular and collected a wide range of critical accolades, including 5 BAFTA nominations, 4 SAG nominations, and a Golden Globe victory in 2018. Ronan has proven herself to be one of the most talented actresses of her generation on several occasions, even if the Oscars have never awarded her with victory.
Ronan has starred in many great movies throughout her career, and this consistent quality has seen her nominated for an Academy Award four times - for a variety of completely different and unique performances. The actress is constantly providing audiences with compelling work that pushes the boundaries of what they’ve seen from her before, proving that she isn’t limited to one particular genre. It’s not common for an actress to find success so early into her career - and even rarer for them to maintain this success for so long. There’s little doubt that Ronan’s popularity with the Oscars will continue into the future, likely resulting in a long-awaited victory one day.
Atonement (2007)
Atonement was Ronan’s breakout feature-length role, and audiences were so blown away by her performance that she found herself awarded an Oscar nomination for Best ing Actress. Atonement is widely considered Joe Wright’s best film, and Ronan’s memorable presence is one of the biggest contributors to this. She plays an aspiring novelist named Briony, whose misinterpretation of the film’s central romance causes major problems for the main characters. She’s a very complicated and unpredictable character, which gave Ronan plenty of opportunities to prove just how impressive her acting abilities were - even at just 12 years old.
Despite the critical acclaim that she received for her performance, Ronan’s nomination still came as a huge surprise at the time. But she wasn't considered the favorite to win, so the award deservedly went to Tilda Swinton for her work in Michael Clayton. Winning the Oscar was ultimately irrelevant at this point in Ronan’s career - the fact that she’d been nominated alone was enough to boost her name to stardom, giving her several new opportunities in the industry. Ronan continued to work in period pieces for the next few years, and it’s clear she’s always had a soft spot for the genre.
Brooklyn (2015)
It was another eight years before Ronan landed her next Oscar nomination, but she made sure it was worth the wait. Her performance in Brooklyn was her at her very best, bringing a real maturity and vulnerability to this compelling romance. Despite starring alongside British acting veterans Jim Broadbent and Judy Dench in the movie, Ronan still managed to emerge as the most unforgettable member of the cast. While there were several experts predicting that she’d win, she just missed out on the Oscar to Brie Larson’s emotional turn in Room.
Still, it’s hard to complain about Larson’s recognition that year. She’s commonly cited as the greatest Best Actress winner of the 2010s, with her performance in Room standing out as the highlight of her career. It’s important to note that Ronan was only 21 years old in Brooklyn - and her victory would’ve made her the youngest winner ever in that category. The Academy is often hesitant to reward young performers with their main awards, so this could’ve played a role. Regardless, it wasn’t a huge setback to her career as she continued to ride her success for several years.
Lady Bird (2017)
Lady Bird tells the story of a young girl named Christine, whose search for a suitable college causes plenty of fractures in her personal life. While the plot is fairly straightforward and predictable on the surface, the film is brought to life by Greta Gerwig’s relatable screenplay and Ronan’s well-tuned lead performance. Not only is Lady Bird among the 2010s’ best directorial debuts, but it also housed the star-making performance that Ronan needed to really propel her into becoming a household name. Her nomination was inevitable (and a victory definitely seemed possible) but the Best Actress Oscar ultimately went to s McDormand.
McDormand’s acting prowess in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was undeniable - but it was still a shock to see Ronan unrewarded for the third time in a row. Her performance was unlike anything she’d provided audiences with before, ditching her period drama roots and adopting a more relatable, comedic character that audiences could really bond with. She still managed to convey her emotions and feelings in a powerful way, but this performance was much more lighthearted than she’d previously handled. Lady Bird truly seemed like the project that would push her to victory, but the success of Martin McDonagh’s drama in other categories likely gave McDormand a slight edge.
Little Women (2019)
was snubbed by the Oscars in several categories, but thankfully, Ronan still managed to secure the Best Actress nomination for her turn as Jo March. The entire cast was undeniably fantastic (as proven by Florence Pugh’s fellow nomination), but Ronan was the beating heart of the film and truly understood the atmosphere that Gerwig was trying to capture with her adaptation. This marked Ronan’s fourth nomination at the Academy Awards, but despite her clear talent and dedication, she was never the favorite to win. From the moment Judy was released, it felt overwhelmingly clear that Renée Zellweger would be coming for the Oscar.
Zellweger was ittedly impressive in Judy, but many felt this should’ve been the year that saw Ronan awarded for her consistently impressive work. Her performance in Little Women would’ve been a completely deserving winner, but the Academy favored Zellweger's flashier, sensational performance. Jo March was among Saoirse Ronan’s best characters, but she ed the likes of Amy Adams as great actors to not win despite many nominations. She faced tough competition that year, but many audiences agreed that she was the deserving winner. There’s no doubt that Saoirse Ronan will get her Oscar one day, but it might take a more noticeable and emotional performance to get there.
