Golden Globe-winning actress Saoirse Ronan is very protective of her work. So is her character Jo March in the movie Little Women. “I think her desperate need to hold onto her independence, her autonomy, her agency when it comes to her work and her ownership over that is definitely something that I hope that I have and I try and tap into as much as I can,” she tells HFPA journalists Patricia Danaher.

The Irish-American actress started her career in the medical drama series The Clinic when she was nine years old. Five years later she got her first Golden Globe nomination for the romantic war drama Atonement and she earned her second nomination in 2016 for the romantic drama Brooklyn. “I think we are fascinated with the past, with history and where we come from. And I think definitely now that there is this new wave of female stories coming to the forefront of film, there’s the unsung heroes, female heroes from the past that are finally being given a moment to shine.”

She won her Golden Globe two years ago by portraying Christine McPherson, a teenager who had a turbulent relationship with her mother, in Lady Bird. Both Lady Bird and Little Women are directed by Greta Gerwig. “The thing that I like about doing modern stuff is that when it comes to the language you’ve got the freedom to add in whatever you want to add. In whereas with period stuff you have to be very careful of what words you use, what slang words. Even with etiquette and stuff, how you move and how you interact with people so I guess there’s definitely more of freedom with more modern pieces.”

But in which era would she like to live? “There are two eras. The Renaissance period would just be so much fun and anything goes during the Renaissance. You can kind of do whatever you want, you can be with whoever you want and you could do the kind of art you want to do. But I think the decade that I’m more tapped into than any other is probably the ’70s, I love the ’70s. I actually love the fashion of the ’70s, maybe not the prints but I like the shapes. And I love the music and the films from that time.”

Listen to the podcast and hear what home means to her; what kind of Irish food her mom sends her; what she takes with her wherever she travels; what kind of things she takes from movie sets; why she is protective of her work; whether she listens to her gut; what is her opinion about Brexit; how environmentally conscious she is; how she describes her generation; why she is not on social media; why music is important to her; why she takes one minute cold showers; who was her first star crush; which musician has had the biggest influence on her; why she is excited when she meets actors from TV shows; how she describes her mother and her aunt; why she finds Greta Gerwig inspirational; why she is fascinated with movie sets; whether she would like to direct; and how is her relationship with the press.