LONDON, Oct 28 — American-born Irish actress Saoirse Ronan highlighted the reality of violence against women on The Graham Norton Show, sparking online praise after her response to a joke about self-defence went viral.
Appearing on the October 25 episode alongside actors Paul Mescal, Eddie Redmayne and Denzel Washington, the 30-year-old reacted after Redmayne discussed the physical training he undertook for his upcoming miniseries The Day of the Jackal, in which he plays an assassin.
Redmayne, 42, mentioned learning to use his phone as a self-defence weapon.
Mescal, 28, and host Graham Norton, 61, joked that they wouldn’t think of using their phones in such a situation, with Mescal mimicking removing a phone and saying, “If someone actually attacked me, I’m not going to go ‘phone.’”
“That’s a very good point,” Redmayne said.
Ronan then chimed in, saying, “That’s what girls have to think about all the time.”
She gestured towards the audience, asking, “Am I right, ladies?” to which the crowd responded with a huge round of applause.
Following the episode, many social media users praised Ronan’s remark.
“Saoirse Ronan is a queen. Men need a reminder what it’s like being a woman so they can appreciate their privilege,” one online user commented.
Another wrote, “The silence after she said that speaks volumes. The fact that these guys — nice guys, mind — are just so unaware is almost terrifying.”
According to People, representatives for Mescal and Redmayne did not immediately respond for comment and Norton’s representative declined to comment.
Ronan is currently preparing for the release of her upcoming film, Blitz, where she stars as a single mother named Rita in World War II London.
