1. What evidence from Saoirse’s childhood would suggest that she was destined to be a star?
2. What evidence from the extract suggests that Saoirse has a good sense of humour?
3. Two of the fi lms mentioned in the interview, Atonement and Brooklyn, were based on novels.
(a) What challenges do you think directors face when trying to recreate a story for the screen?
(b) What advantages do you think a director has over a writer? (Hint: what kind of features can you have in a fi lm that you cannot have in a novel?)
(c) What advantages do you think a writer has over a director? (Hint: is there anything that you can describe in writing that would be diffi cult to portray on screen?)
Create
Imagine you were interviewing Saoirse Ronan. Is there anything you would like to know more about or any questions that were not asked in the interview on pages 204–205? Write the dialogue between you (the interviewer) and Saoirse (the interviewee).
