Saoirse Ronan silences male Hollywood stars on talk show by calling out problem with Paul Mescal’s joke

Saoirse Ronan has silenced Paul Mescal, Eddie Redmayne, Denzel Washington and Graham Norton with one powerful sentence when appearing on The Graham Norton Show. Photo / The Graham Norton Show

This article was one of Herald Entertainment’s best-read stories of 2024.

The actress called out a string of male Hollywood stars for their joke on a talk show – with the interaction going viral.

Irish actress Saoirse Ronan has silenced a lineup of male Hollywood stars and the host on The Graham Norton Show with one powerful sentence.

Ronan appeared as a guest alongside Paul Mescal, Eddie Redmayne and Denzel Washington in the latest episode of the British comedy talk show where the discussion led to defending yourself from an attack.

Mescal, who stars in the soon-to-be released Gladiator II, mocked the idea of using an object like a phone.

“Who is actually going to think about that?” he asked. “If someone actually attacked me, I’m not going to go ‘phone.’”

As Mescal, Redmayne and Norton laughed, Ronan tried to speak but the joke continued.

Paul Mescal began mocking the idea of using a phone when being attacked. Photo / The Graham Norton Show

“Can you hang on a second?” Norton said to a hypothetical attacker, tapping his pockets looking for a phone.

Mescal pretended to hold a phone up to his ear, adding: “Sorry mum, one second. BANG.”

“That’s a very good point,” Redmayne agreed.

But Ronan wanted to point out that for half the population, thoughts like that are not a joke.

“That’s what girls have to think about all the time,” she said.

The mood immediately shifted as the men realised and appeared unsure how to respond.

“Am I right ladies?” Ronan asked the audience to huge applause.

Ronan and Mescal are known to be good friends after working on the 2023 film Foe together.

Saoirse Ronan tried to speak but was spoken over as the joke continued. Photo / The Graham Norton Show

Ronan, who starred as outspoken and independent Jo March in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, has been celebrated online with posts of the clip receiving millions of views on social media.

“This is so Jo March of her,” one fan wrote.

“The silence ... speaks for itself,” another said.

“The silence after she speaks is genuinely a work of art,” wrote a third.

“The silence afterwards OMG. Thank you Saoirse,” praised a fourth.

Other social media users pointed out the fact Ronan had tried to speak up earlier but was spoken over.

“Notice how she tried to say her piece before they all started spouting those things but they just all talked over her so she just waited,” said one.

When Saoirse Ronan said women think about this all the time, the men fell silent. Photo / The Graham Norton Show

“The way she started to say something but then they all talked over her and made jokes, and you can see the moment she decides actually NAH,” said another.

Many women said the interaction was further evidence of how much energy it takes for women to protect themselves in environments and situations men do not even give a second thought.

“I love Paul but there’s just something about men not understanding how difficult it is to exist safely as a woman,” one woman wrote.

“Lads … you do know we walk at home at night with our house keys fused between our forefingers in case we need to fend off an attacker, right?” asked another.

“I mean it’s not even about how stupid men are, it’s that they’re obviously privileged and they’re not always aware of it. She was so great for being so sincere and upfront,” wrote someone else.

Saoirse Ronan has been praised for speaking up, with clips of the interaction shared across social media. Photo / The Graham Norton Show

“People are saying she killed the vibe but seriously when he first said that, the first thing I thought of is the Delphi murders trial and how Libby’s video is essential evidence being used to identify their [alleged] killer,” penned another woman.

Libby German, 14, and Abby Williams, 13, were killed in February 2017 while walking on a hiking trail near the Indiana town of Delphi in the United States.

Police released audio of a man and a video apparently taken by Libby before her murder showing a man approaching the girls on a bridge.

Richard Allen was charged in 2022 and his trial is currently under way.

This article was originally published on October 28, 2024.