Saoirse Ronan Makes Waves With Reaction to Self-Defense Joke

Lady Bird star points out to group of top male actors that women have to think about this stuff
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 28, 2024 2:44 PM CDT

Saoirse Ronan appeared on Graham Norton's talk show on Friday, alongside a trio of male A-listers: Denzel Washington, Eddie Redmayne, and Paul Mescal. But it was Ronan's interjection on the topic of self-defense that has now gone viral, after Redmayne recalled the physical training he had to undergo to prep for his role in Peacock's upcoming The Day of the Jackal miniseries. "You can use your phone if someone's attacking you," Redmayne said he was taught, showing how he was instructed to ram the butt of his cellphone into an attacker's throat, per a clip shown on TMZ.

That's when Mescal jumped in, poking fun of the protective measure. "Who's actually gonna think about that?" Mescal laughed. "If someone attacked me, I'm not gonna go: 'Phone.'" Ronan initially chuckled along, but then piped up: "That's what girls have to think about all the time. Am I right, ladies?" the 30-year-old Lady Bird and Little Women star noted, to cheers and applause from the audience.

"The rest of the guests on the sofa seemed to mumble in agreement and nodded along as Norton changed the subject," notes the Independent. Per People, the reaction to Ronan's comment was very much on her side. "Saoirse Ronan is a queen," one fan wrote on X. "Men need a reminder what it's like being a woman so they can appreciate their privilege. The silence after she said that speaks volumes." "Thank goodness for Saoirse," another wrote, adding, "The fact that these guys—nice guys, mind—are just so unaware is almost terrifying." (More Saoirse Ronan stories.)

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