It’s safe to say that it’s been an electric week for Jessie Buckley. The Kerry star was dazzled last week after winning ‘Best Female Actor’ at the 83rd annual Golden Globes for her role in Hamnet, the latest drama from director Chloé Zhao based on the novel of the same name.
Also starring Kildare-grown star Paul Mescal, the film charts the fictional tale of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes, played by Buckley, grappling with the loss of their son. But those unfamiliar with the 36-year-old idol may wonder just where she got her start — and how she rose from the streets of Killarney to the hills of Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Buckley’s quest for stardom began in 2008, when she placed second on BBC talent show I’d Do Anything, narrowly missing out on the leading role of Nancy in the hit-play Oliver! on the West End. Turning down a gig as an understudy for the winning Nancy, Buckley reclaimed her West End debut later that year in Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music.
After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2013, she began to secure television roles on BBC projects such as War and Peace, The Woman in White and Taboo. In 2017, Buckley landed her first film role as the lead in acclaimed thriller Beast, leading to praise from critics for her “increasingly animalistic” performance. The following year, Buckley would earn a BAFTA nomination for her role in Wild Rose, and later scoop up an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the 2021 film The Lost Daughter.
“At the end of the day,” Buckley spoke about acting to the AU Review. “You get to set and you take your hand off the wheel and you look into the incredible faces that are in front of you, and that becomes your story.”
Her award for Hamnet marks Buckley’s first Golden Globe win. In her acceptance speech, Buckley claimed: “We were telling the story of, probably, the most famous Brit that ever lived, and we had a Chinese director, a lot of Irish, a mostly Polish crew, beside our British family.”
“We are very proud of Jessie,” the actress’ father, Tim, told the Irish Times. “The whole parish is. It’s a big thing. There is a lovely sense of shared joy this morning.”
The film also took home the award for ‘Best Motion Picture – Drama’, and is now seen by many as a front-runner for the Academy Awards in March, with Buckley being strongly tipped for best actress at the ceremony.
Whatever the future holds, the moment marks a highly deserved landmark for the Kerry native’s career, as she stated on the night: “This is a real, real honour. I love what I do, and I love being a part of this industry.”
All eyes now turn to the Academy Awards, which will be held on Sunday, 15 March in Los Angeles.
