Paul Mescal praises Saoirse Ronan for Graham Norton’s comments

Paul Mescal has said Saoirse Ronan “hit the nail on the head” when she spoke about women’s safety, in a clip that went viral.

The two Irish stars appeared on The Graham Norton show last month, with fellow actor Eddie Redmayne explaining that he had been taught how to use a phone as a weapon while training for his role as an assassin in Day of the Jackal.

In response, Mescal, 28, questioned whether anyone would realistically have time to take out their phone when attacked, before Ronan said: “That’s what girls have to think about all the time. Am I right ladies?”

Asked about the comments on Irish broadcaster RTE’s The Late Late Show, Mescal said Ronan had been “spot on”.

The Gladiator II star said he wasn’t surprised by the huge reaction on social media to her remarks, “because you’re like, like you said, you’re on a talk show like this and you’re like, just talking.

“But I’m not surprised the message got as much attention as it did because it’s hugely important and I’m sure you’ve had Saoirse on the show like she… quite often, more often let alone the most intelligent person in the room.

“But I think she… was spot on, hit the nail on the head, and it’s also good that… these kinds of messages are gaining ground, like it’s a conversation that we absolutely should be having on a daily basis basis.”

Ronan, who stars in the Oscar-tipped film Blitzwas applauded by the audience on the BBC One show and the clip was trending on social media for days afterwards.

She later told Virgin Radio UK that the reaction to her comments was “wild” and “certainly not something I expected”.

“I think there’s something really telling about the society we’re in right now and how open women want to be with the men in their lives,” she said.

The 30-year-old added that the conversation “felt very similar to when I’m at dinner with a bunch of my friends, and I always want to point out that this is actually an experience that we go through every single day, 100 %.”

She said it was “amazing” that this moment “opens up a conversation” and “allows more women to just be like, yeah, actually, let’s talk about our experience”.

She added that the men on the talk show “were not like revealing anything that I said,” and said Mescal “completely understands” the issue, as they’ve talked about it before.

Her statements were praised at the time, with several commentators saying she highlighted a reality women face.

After Ronan interjected with her comments, there was a brief silence before the audience clapped as the men on the couch and Norton nodded their agreement, acknowledging her point.

Sitting on Norton’s couch, Ronan talked about her new role in Blitz, in which she plays Rita, a mother searching for her son as World War II ravages London.

Normal People actor Mescal currently stars in the blockbuster Gladiator II. Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel to the 2000 epic has been met with a mixed response from film critics.