How Lady Bird Director Greta Gerwig Inspired Saoirse Ronan To Step Behind The Camera

Saoirse Ronan may have just won a Golden Globe for her performance as the titular character in Lady Bird, but what she wants to do next is work behind the camera. According to her interview on the New York Times ' TimesTalks series, the actress was inspired to direct thanks to Greta Gerwig, the woman who helmed the much buzzed-about mother-daughter story.

Ronan, who was seated next to Gerwig during the interview, revealed how the Frances Ha writer inspired her to take on a new role in the entertainment industry.

"I had always wanted to try my hand at directing, but it's only since I've seen you do all of this, and talk about the movie you made, and all the work you put into it, that I had this epiphany," the Lady Bird star explained to a teary-eyed Gerwig. "[It was] 'Oh, maybe I can be a great director, too.'"

Gerwig previously expressed her own nerves about taking on Lady Bird, and what it could mean for women in the field if the film flopped. (It didn't: Instead, in November, it earned the honor of best-reviewed film on Rotten Tomatoes.) Gerwig told Vanity Fair:

"You do think, 'If they have a bad experience with me, if I don’t know what I’m doing, if I’m unprepared, or if I don’t show up for this with everything I’ve got, it’s going to make it that much harder for the next woman.'"

The Lady Bird director also told Vanity Fair that it's her mission to make sure her fellow women feel confident enough to succeed behind the camera — something that she has already achieved by inspiring Ronan.

"[I would like to] produce young female filmmakers and give them support and guidance and find their voices and be able to get them on their way."

Let's hope Ronan finds her first directing project soon: Hollywood does not employ nearly enough women directors, and we definitely need more women crafting stories onscreen. Lady Bird and Gerwig's success is a reminder of the magic that can happen when the industry opens doors for women.

Check out the TimesTalks interview below: