Interview with Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones)

The Lovely Bones is based on the best-selling novel of the same name written by Alice Sebold. Directed by Peter Jackson, it stars Saoirse Ronan as the protagonist Susie Salmon, along with Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as her parents, Jack and Abigail Salmon. Set in the early '70s, the story centers around 14-year-old Susie, who is murdered by a neighbor, George Harvey (Stanley Tucci), a serial killer of young girls and women. She finds herself in 'the in-between,' a Heaven-like place, observing her family as they grieve for her. She also watches her killer who, having covered his tracks successfully, is preparing to murder again. Susie struggles to balance her desire for vengeance on Harvey and her desire to have her family recover from their loss.

This is Saoirse Ronan’s first starring role. The young Irish actress was nominated for an Oscar® for her supporting role in Atonement a few years back, and may earn a Best Actress nomination for her performance in The Lovely Bones.

Tribute’s

Bonnie Laufer spoke with Ronan in Los Angeles about dealing with this disturbing subject matter, the pressures of fronting a lead role and working with her talented and inspiring director, Peter Jackson.