Ben Madilynn
— Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan could have been in the “Harry Potter” film series as the fan favorite character Luna Lovegood.
The Irish actress appeared in “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to promote her latest movie, “The Outrun.” The actress talked about not winning any of her four Academy Award nominations to date.
They also talked about her husband Jack Lowden’s recent Emmy nomination for “Slow Horses.” Lowden did not win, which was a result they expected.
Kimmel asked if there were any roles Ronan wished she could have done or allotted time for, and the actress shared what stuck in her mind was auditioning for Luna in the “Harry Potter” movies.
“I didn’t say no to it, I just didn’t get the part. I lost again, it’s a running theme for me,” Ronan quipped. “It was like the Irish character so they got everyone Irish in, like half of Ireland to come and audition.”
She admitted knowing she wouldn’t get the role because she was too young — Ronan would have been around 12 years old during the auditions, while the character Luna is supposedly 14 years old during her first appearance in “Order of the Phoenix.”
WATCH: Saoirse Ronan reveals almost joining ‘Harry Potter’
Ronan, however, got to read a part from the film and considered it “the coolest thing ever.” Kimmel shared he was in the middle of reading and binge-watching the “Harry Potter” books and movies with his kids.
The role of Luna eventually went to Evanna Lynch, who constantly wrote to author J.K. Rowling during her bouts with anorexia.
Lynch portrayed Luna in four films and her performance was well-received by fans, cementing Luna’s title as a fan favorite.
After missing out on Luna, Ronan instead got cast for “Atonement,” where she received her first Oscar nomination. She was the seventh youngest nominee for Best Supporting Actress.
She would later receive Best Actress nominations for “Brooklyn,” “Lady Bird,” and “Little Women,” and is currently the second youngest person to reach four Oscar nods behind Jennifer Lawrence.
Ronan and Kimmel also discussed whether the actress would appear in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming adaptation of “The Chronicles of Narnia” for Netflix.
She confirmed she was supposed to be in Gerwig’s “Barbie” as a Weird Barbie, alongside Kate McKinnon, but had to shoot “The Outrun.” The actress also revealed that her constant collaborator, Timothee Chalamet, was supposed to play a Ken. — Video from Jimmy Kimmel Live’s YouTube channel
