Saoirse Ronan says Little Women challenges stereotypes

Saoirse Ronan loved challenging stereotypes in 'Little Women'.

The 25-year-old actress stars as Josephine 'Jo' March in the Greta Gerwig-directed period drama, which tells the story of a group of impoverished sisters living in the aftermath of the American Civil War, and Saoirse has revealed what drew her towards the character in the first place.

She told the BBC: "I love the fact that I got to play a scene where the female heroine also admits to being lonely and sort of lost, and has dedicated her life to this one thing, but recognizes at a certain point in her life that there was a price to pay for that."

By contrast, Jo's sister Meg chooses to marry, opting to tie the knot with a poor man - much to the frustration of her aunt.

Reflecting on the plot, Saoirse - who stars in the movie alongside the likes of Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern and Timothee Chalamet - explained: "I've always wanted to have kids, I've always wanted to have a family. And I love that there's this strength there from Meg to own that decision and that she's actually quite empowered by that.

"And I think it's a testament to Louisa May Alcott's writing, and then also Greta's take on it, that these four girls are very different and they're doing very different things. And as Meg says in the book, 'it doesn't make my decision any less important.'"