Saoirse Ronan on Playing a Recovering Alcoholic

Saoirse Ronan’s role in “The Outrun” has earned her some of the strongest reviews of her career for her performance as a student who returns to the Scottish Isles to pursue sobriety after struggling with alcoholism. Following the film’s world premiere, Ronan stopped by the IndieWire Studio at Sundance, presented by Dropbox, to discuss her personal connection to the source material and the growth that the role required of her.

Ronan, who also produced the film, explained that she encountered Amy Liptrot’s novel on which the film is based during the COVID-19 pandemic — and instantly knew that it could become a career-defining part for her.

“It was Jack Lowden — who we produced the film with, who is a very proud Scotsman — who had read the book while we were in lockdown,” Ronan said. “He said, ‘You need to read this, because it’s the role you were born to play.’ Like we all have, I have loved ones who have suffered from addiction, in particular alcoholism. So I’ve sort of been on the receiving end of that and I’ve seen how horrible it is and how devastating it can be for family and friends and anyone who’s close to someone who’s going through something like that.”

While Ronan was instantly drawn to the material, she said that she appreciates the fact she didn’t encounter the project earlier in her career. She explained that the life experience she accumulated throughout her 20s prepared her to approach the role with the…