From a teenage hopeful on a BBC talent show to the cusp of Academy Award glory, Jessie Buckley’s journey reads like something from the movies themselves. Eighteen years ago, she stood on the stage of I’D DO ANYTHING, a West End competition show, trying to make her mark. Now, with a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama clutched in her hands for her searing portrayal of William Shakespeare’s wife in HAMNET, she stands poised to etch her name into Oscar history.
The film, which also claimed best film at the Golden Globes and hit UK cinemas this Friday, has positioned Buckley as a hot favourite for Academy Award recognition. Her previous nomination in 2022 for THE LOST DAUGHTER proved she belonged in elite company, but this feels different, more assured, more inevitable. If she succeeds, she’ll become only the fifth Irish actor to claim that famous gold statuette, joining the rarefied company of Barry Fitzgerald, Brenda Fricker, Daniel Day Lewis, and Cillian Murphy. The island of Ireland could celebrate a remarkable double triumph too, as Northern Ireland-born Maggie O’Farrell, whose award-winning novel provided the source material, co-wrote the screenplay and may find herself in line for her own Oscar recognition.
Standing before the Golden Globes audience, Buckley spoke with genuine warmth about the honor of working in this industry, but what struck deepest was her reflection on the production itself. Here was a film about perhaps the most famous Brit who ever lived, yet it became something gloriously international, a creative collision of cultures with a Chinese director, Irish actors including her co-star Paul Mescal who played Shakespeare himself, a mostly Polish crew, and their British family. Mescal, nominated for best supporting actor, ultimately lost to Stellan Skarsgård, but his presence alongside Buckley underscored the Irish talent now commanding attention on the world stage.
Steven Spielberg, who co-produced HAMNET, told the ceremony he loved O’Farrell’s book, lending his considerable weight to a project that has captured imaginations on both sides of the Atlantic. With the Golden Globes serving as a crucial bellwether less than a fortnight before the Academy Award nominations land on January 22, Buckley’s trajectory from reality television contestant to Oscar frontrunner feels like a vindication of talent, persistence, and the long game. This could indeed be the year she writes her name into history.
@hozier and HAMNET actress Jessie Buckley have teamed up for FAIRY TALE OF NEW YORK.
As part of Shane MacGowan’s tribute album, 20th CENTURY PADDY, they join @u2, @springsteen and @kingfishrofficial on 36 tracks that span the length of MacGowan’s musical career.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Brendan Gleeson is back, and he’s carrying a whole town on his shoulders🔥
In THE GOOD DAUGHTER, Gleeson plays Rusty Quinn, a rumpled, fearless defense attorney in rural Pikeville, Georgia, the man who defends the town’s outcasts and drives corrupt authorities mad.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Jamie Dornan opens up to @latenightseth about the intense prep for the upcoming thriller 12 12 12.
He also looks back on hosting Saturday Night Live and shares his excitement about stepping into the Lord of the Rings universe. 💍⚔️
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Before the stage, before the screen, before FLEABAG, there was porridge.🥣
Andrew Scott joins @jimmykimmell and takes us back to his very first acting gig as a kid: an Irish porridge commercial. Yes, really.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
DERRY GIRLS darling @nicolacoughlan returns to our TVs in I AM HELEN.
This critically acclaimed BAFTA-winning anthology series pairs Coughlan with PEAKY BLINDERS star Joe Cole!
Watch new trailer now via 🔗︎ in bio!
BROOKLYN fans, this one is for you 🎬
Caitríona Balfe is back in a Colm Tóibín adaptation, and A LONG WINTER lands in cinemas this January 2027. Based on Tóibín’s 2006 short story, the film casts Caitríona as Louise, a mother at the heart of a stark, emotional drama.
More details via 🔗︎ in bio!
Mayo`s own @philippa.dunne is pure joy!
On this week`s @latelaterte, Philippa shares childhood memories of growing up in Mayo that shaped her, and what it’s really like to bring unforgettable characters to life on screen.
If you love Irish screen stories told by the people who live them, watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Everyone`s favourite Andrew returns to the @britishfilminstitute London Film Festival with his new film ELSINORE.
Few actors of the stage and screen have attracted as much acclaim in recent years as Andrew Scott, both for the emotional depth of his performances and for the subtlety and nuance he brings to them.
Watch now via 🔗︎ in bio!
Like father, like son!
Aran Murphy is following in his father Cillian`s footsteps with a major role in the new @sharonhorgan show YOUTH.
The 19-year-old is relatively new to the acting world but has had a very busy few months as of late, stepping out on red carpets and giving plenty of interviews for his first roles.
Let`s hear it for Ireland`s next wave of amazing acting talent!
