From Runner-Up to Golden Globe Winner: Who Is Jessie Buckley?

Jessie Buckley has made history by winning the Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Golden Globe for her role in Hamnet. The Irish actress, 36, brought to life the character of Agnes, historically known as Anne, William Shakespeare’s wife, in the film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet. The story delves into the emotional journey of the couple as they cope with the loss of their son. Her powerful performance has placed her at the center of this year’s award season, which began with her win at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards. This was followed by nominations for the Actor Awards (formerly the Screen Actors Guild Awards) and the Baftas.

Buckley is also being considered a strong contender for the Oscars, with nominations expected to be announced soon. Born in Killarney, she spent five years at an all-girls convent school before joining the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything in 2008 at the age of 17. The show sought a new lead for the West End revival of Oliver!, and Buckley finished as a runner-up, losing out to Coronation Street star Jodie Prenger.

She later attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (Rada) in London, graduating with a BA in acting in 2013. Her stage career began that same year with a performance at Shakespeare’s Globe in The Tempest. She then starred alongside Jude Law in a West End production of Henry V.

Buckley’s television work includes a role in the 2016 adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s War & Peace, where she portrayed Marya Bolkonskaya. She made her film debut in 2017 with a supporting role in Michael Pearce’s psychological thriller Beast, co-starring Johnny Flynn, who is known for his role in Emma.

In 2018, she played the lead in Wild Rose, a coming-of-age musical drama about a troubled single mother and former convict, Rose-Lynn, from Glasgow, who dreams of becoming a country singer. This role earned her the 2019 Scottish Bafta for Best Actress.

In 2020, Buckley appeared in the psychological thriller I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, starring alongside Jesse Plemons. The film explores how a visit to her boyfriend’s family farm changes everything she knows about him. She has also appeared in several TV series, including Chernobyl, where she played Lyudmilla Ignatenko, and Fargo, where she portrayed Oraetta Mayflower.

Her film credits include The Lost Daughter (2021), where she starred alongside Olivia Colman and received her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared in Women Talking (2022), a period drama co-starring Claire Foy, based on the true story of women in a religious community who begin to confront the sexual abuse they have endured.

More recently, Buckley reunited with Colman in Wicked Little Letters (2023) and starred alongside Riz Ahmed and Jeremy Allen White in Fingernails, a sci-fi romance about a woman questioning her relationship after a controversial test result claims they are a perfect match.

In 2022, Buckley won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Sally Bowles in Cabaret.