One of the most anticipated world premieres out of the 2020 Toronto Film Festival was Francis Lee's `Ammonite,` starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan as women who form a romantic bond in 1840s England. The performances in the film have put both actresses in the upcoming Oscar race.

In an interview with, Ronan revealed she consulted with her gay friends before tackling `Ammonite` and asked them for advice about the role. Ronan's character, Charlotte Murchison, is grieving the loss of her child when she meets Winslet's Mary Anning, who is hired by Charlotte's husband to care for her. Their romantic connection helps Charlotte power through her grief.

Ronan's friends told her they `didn't really feel like there were many movies that actually represented the lesbian experience` aside from Sebastian Lelio's 2017 romance drama `Disobedience,` starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams. Ronan said that her friends spoke to her about `the intimacies` of a gay relationship, adding, `Not just the sexual side of it, but just the relationships as a whole.`

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Saoirse Ronan says she consulted with her gay friends and asked them for advice about the role before tackling #Ammonite, which stars her opposite Kate Winslet. Ronan's friends told her they `didn't really feel like there were many movies that actually represented the lesbian experience` and that they spoke to her about `the intimacies` of a gay relationship, adding, `Not just the sexual side of it, but just the relationships as a whole.` Read more at the link in our bio.⁠ --⁠ #saoirseronan #katewinslet #francislee #film

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Winslet handpicked Ronan to star opposite her in the film, which was filming after Ronan's Oscar-nominated turn in `Little Women.` That `Ammonite` presented a two-hander after the ensemble-driven `Little Women` was alluring for the actress.

`I had just come out of the experience of 'Little Women,' which is very sort of full of life, and very busy in every scene,` she said. `And there were a lot of cast members in every scene that we would do, and lots of talking, and it was very sort of like kinetic. And I think just from an acting point of view it really interested me to play someone that was much more restrained.`

Neon is releasing `Ammonite` in theaters November 13.