Irish actress Saoirse Ronan is hoping to land her dad a role in a new Mary Queen of Scots biopic - as her character's executioner.

Father and daughter have appeared onscreen together twice - in Irish Tv drama The Clinic and new movie How I Live Now - and they've killed each other in both projects.

Now the Hanna star is hoping her dad, Paul, will be on-set for her royal death scene in her latest project.

She says, "It's his turn. He could do it for Mary Queen Of Scots.

"They needed a man to almost knock me down in a car (in The Clinic) (and) clearly they thought my dad would be a good choice. So that seems to be the relationship we always have on screen. One of us is always killing the other one."

Ronan, 19, has been cast as Queen Mary in the upcoming historical drama. The royal was found guilty of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I, imprisoned for 18 years and executed.