Irish actress Jessie Buckley won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Hamnet, capping a dominant awards season at the 98th Academy Awards on Monday.
Buckley beat a strong field that included Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You), Kate Hudson (Song Sung Blue), Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value), and Emma Stone (Bugonia).
The Oscar win follows an impressive sweep through the awards circuit, with Buckley already taking home the Bafta, Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and SAG Award for the same role.
Directed by Chloé Zhao, Hamnet is a historical drama based on Maggie O'Farrell’s bestselling novel inspired by the life of William Shakespeare. The film stars Buckley as Agnes opposite Paul Mescal as Shakespeare, exploring the couple’s grief after the death of their young son, Hamnet, and imagining how the tragedy may have shaped the writing of Hamlet.
Born on December 28, 1989, in Killarney, Ireland, Buckley grew up in a musical family. Her mother was a vocal coach and her father a poet, influences that shaped her early love for performance. She attended an all-girls convent school where she acted in school productions, even taking on male roles such as Tony in West Side Story. Alongside acting, she trained in music and learned to play the piano, harp and clarinet.
Buckley later moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 2013.
Her career first drew attention when she finished runner-up on the talent show I'd Do Anything in 2008. She went on to build her reputation through theatre and television roles, appearing in series such as Chernobyl and Fargo.
Buckley’s film breakthrough came with Wild Rose (2018), where she played a country singer — a performance praised for both her acting and vocals. She later received her first Oscar nomination for The Lost Daughter in 2021.