Saoirse Una Ronan is an American-born Irish actress known for her performances in period dramas since her adolescence. She first appeared on screen in 2003 on the Irish medical drama series The Clinic and received her breakthrough role in Atonement (2007) which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Other notable roles include The Lovely Bones (2009), Hanna (2011), Brooklyn (2015), Lady Bird (2017), and Little Women (2019). She received critical acclaim and nominations for numerous awards for these performances, including winning a Golden Globe Award for Lady Bird. Ronan is also known for her stage acts including the portrayal of Abigail Williams in the 2016 Broadway revival of The Crucible and Lady Macbeth in the 2021 West End revival of The Tragedy of Macbeth. She was featured by Forbes in two of their 30 Under 30 lists, and in 2020, The New York Times ranked her tenth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century.

On a personal note, Saoirse Una Ronan was born in the Bronx, New York City, the only child of Irish parents from Dublin. She moved back to Dublin at the age of three and was raised in Ardattin, County Carlow. In her early teens, she was living in Dublin, in the seaside village of Howth. She later made her debut on Broadway and also in the West End, making critical feats in the industry. Her rise to prominence includes performances in Atonement, Brooklyn, and Lady Bird that earned her nominations and awards globally. Ronan's performances in her films and her stage acts bolstered her reputation as one of the leading actresses of her generation.