Jessie Buckley, the Irish actress acclaimed for her role as Agnes Shakespeare in Chloe Zhao’s Hamnet, shared insights about her journey on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast. Buckley, recognized as a frontrunner for this year’s Best Actress Oscar, has garnered praise from The Observer, Vanity Fair, and The New York Times for her compelling and fearless portrayals on stage and screen. Naturally, her recent work in Hamnet and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s reimagined The Bride! places the spotlight on the keyword Maggie Gyllenhaal The Bride.
Born in Cork and raised in the scenic town of Killarney, surrounded by lakes and mountains, Buckley’s upbringing involved living in a shed behind her father’s guest house, a large establishment with 28 rooms where travelers from around the world would come and go. This eclectic environment exposed her early to a diverse array of people and experiences, contributing to her artistic foundation.
Buckley’s mother, a music psychotherapist and harpist, once pursued opera singing in London, performing in spaces like Covent Garden, further influencing Buckley’s appreciation for music and storytelling. Reflecting on her mother’s performances, Jessie recalled,
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Whatever that is, I want to do that.
”
– Jessie Buckley, Actress
A Path Rooted in Theater, Music, and Early Challenges
From a young age, Buckley engaged with theater and music, performing in amateur dramatics and school plays. Despite encouragement, the road was not straightforward. At 17, her dream of entering the Guildford School of Music and Drama was initially dashed when she was rejected, a moment that deeply hurt her. However, this setback soon led her to audition for the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything, where she placed second in a competition seeking an actress to play Nancy in a West End production of Oliver Twist.
Reflecting on this period, Buckley described a complex internal experience:
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I think depression — I’ve used that word in a way to protect myself, but I think it’s a bit general around what I was experiencing outside of what that show was… a young woman discovering herself…
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– Jessie Buckley, Actress
Though her family remained in Ireland during this time, Buckley embraced the opportunity to reinvent herself in London. Demonstrating a willingness to explore uncertain paths, she confessed,
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Do you want to come through that door? Yeah, sure. What’s behind that door?
”
– Jessie Buckley, Actress
Mentorship and Training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
A remarkable turn came when producer Cameron Mackintosh noticed Buckley’s potential and sponsored her for a summer Shakespeare workshop at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), an experience that changed her life. The power of Shakespeare’s language ignited a passion in her, likening his words to “liquid lava.” Later, with financial support from a patron named Tony, she was able to complete a full three-year course at RADA, graduating in 2013.
Her early professional work included performances in Shakespeare plays at the Globe Theatre, and notable productions such as The Winter’s Tale alongside Dame Judi Dench and Henry V with Jude Law. Buckley recalled watching Dench nightly, yearning to absorb her emotional depth:
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Come, spirits of Judi Dench, come.
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– Jessie Buckley, Actress
Exploring Cinema and Cultivating a Distinctive Screen Presence
Though Buckley was drawn initially to theater and music, she gradually became captivated by cinema’s potential. Early exposure to classic performances by Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, and Bette Davis, and contemporary art films by Lars von Trier, shaped her artistic vocabulary. Despite early invitations to explore opportunities in America, Buckley chose to deepen her craft before committing, saying,
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I need to get to know myself in order to meet what that might be. I don’t want to go and not have something to say in that world.
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– Jessie Buckley, Actress
Her film debut came with Michael Pearce’s Beast (2017), a low-budget project that offered both creative freedom and artistic challenge. Portraying a young woman caught between danger and self-discovery, Buckley cherished the film as a pivotal experience, placing the script under her bed in reverence, much like Marion Cotillard’s rumored attachment to Rust and Bone.
Breakthrough Roles and Growing Recognition
Buckley’s 2018 film Wild Rose, in which she played a Scottish ex-con aspiring to become a country singer, earned her a BAFTA nomination and significant critical acclaim. She subsequently played a supporting role in the Emmy-winning limited series Chernobyl, portraying a pregnant woman affected by the nuclear disaster. Buckley’s personal connection to the story was profound, as the Chernobyl tragedy had reverberations in Ireland through foster programs for affected children.
Her collaboration with esteemed actors such as Renee Zellweger in Judy and with directors like Charlie Kaufman in I’m Thinking of Ending Things further expanded her versatility. In the TV series Fargo Season 4, she explored complex nuances as a nurse whose behavior challenged patients.
Discussing these roles, Buckley mentioned her instinctual choices: “
She’s a bird [as far as her walk] — she’s obsessed with Edith Piaf [who was nicknamed “The Little Sparrow”] — and also it’s going to be freezing, so I can walk really quickly between takes.
” – Jessie Buckley, Actress
Collaboration with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Thematic Depth in Roles
A major milestone in Buckley’s career was her role in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, The Lost Daughter (2021), where she played the younger version of Olivia Colman’s character. The connection between Buckley and Colman was informal yet significant, and Gyllenhaal’s approach to storytelling deeply affected Buckley. She praised Gyllenhaal’s commitment to portraying women in their complexity:
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She wants the full story. She wants the shadowy bits to come to the surface so that as a woman, you’re not deciphered off.
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– Jessie Buckley, Actress
Following this, Buckley and Gyllenhaal reunited for the ambitious project The Bride!, a daring reimagining of the classic Bride of Frankenstein, set for release on March 6. The film presented Buckley with her largest budget to date, working alongside Christian Bale and under Gyllenhaal’s intense direction.
The Impact and Intensity of ‘The Bride!’ on Buckley’s Craft
Buckley described her role in The Bride! as a transformative and deeply embodied experience that challenged traditional portrayals of the character. She reflected on the character’s lack of autonomy and the profound personal revelations the role inspired:
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If you really want to love, and if you really want to be in a relationship with me, how much of me can you actually love? Not just the nice bit, the bit that’s palatable to you. You want to know the truth? This is the truth.
”
– Jessie Buckley, Actress
She recalled the reactions to the character’s defiant scream and the way previous attempts to continue the story were halted because of its intensity:
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Oh, shit. We’re in some dodgy territory here. This girl is screaming? Shut it down!
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– Jessie Buckley, Actress
Buckley also acknowledged the strong synergy between herself, Gyllenhaal, and Bale during the production, emphasizing the demanding artistic energy on set.
Interplay Between ‘The Bride!’ and ‘Hamnet’ Performances
The tight scheduling between wrapping The Bride! and entering rehearsals for Hamnet allowed Buckley to carry creative momentum from one project to the other. She noted how her approach to playing Agnes Shakespeare was influenced by the intensity experienced while filming The Bride!:
“I had this love, and I also was deeply, uncompromisingly embodied in myself, which Agnes is. She is in touch with her elemental force.”
Working with Director Chloé Zhao on ‘Hamnet’ and Unique Filmmaking Approaches
Buckley described developing a close, egalitarian relationship with director Chloé Zhao during the making of Hamnet. Their collaboration included a creative chemistry test and mutual trust to take artistic risks without hierarchical constraints. This atmosphere allowed for unorthodox techniques, such as guided meditation on set, to help actors connect with their roles emotionally and mentally.
Regarding these methods, Buckley explained using dreams and abstract writing as tools to enter the essence of her character, and she recounted how some scenes unfolded spontaneously—especially the raw, gut-wrenching scream upon her character’s son’s death, which was not scripted.
Personal Growth, Motherhood, and Portraying Grief
Having recently become a mother herself, Buckley reflected on the differences between her real-life experience and the intense grief portrayed in Hamnet. She used dream work and deep emotional immersion to authentically embody Agnes Shakespeare. Her co-star Jacobi Jupe, who played young Hamnet, played a crucial role in supporting the emotional journey during filming.
She elaborated on the significance of the film’s final sequence, where Agnes attends a performance at the Globe Theatre. Buckley conveyed the profound mixture of grief and awe that defined this moment, underscoring the spiritual resonance of storytelling and loss:
“…he has reincarnated her lost son through the vessel of a story, that he’s immortalized in his nature by this story.”
Recognition, Awards, and Reflecting on This Career Moment
Hamnet has earned Buckley numerous accolades, including Golden Globes, BAFTA awards, and widespread critical praise, with Oscar nominations confirming her stature. Despite the intensity of her public profile, Buckley remains grounded and often finds solace in everyday tasks such as caring for her child. She expressed honest ambivalence about fame and awards ceremonies:
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I wish the ground would swallow me up… How am I meant to be in these rooms? I shouldn’t be here.
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– Jessie Buckley, Actress
Still, she cherishes the opportunity to stand alongside respected artists like Paul Thomas Anderson, Chloé Zhao, and Delroy Lindo, acknowledging the rarity and intensity of such moments in her life and career. Recognizing the fleeting nature of success, Buckley looks forward to continuing her artistic journey with humility and passion.
