Jessie Buckley Wins Best Actress Oscar for Hamnet, First Irish Winner

Mar 15, 2026 7:30pm PT Jessie Buckley Makes Oscars History as First Irish Best Actress Winner By Angelique Jackson Plus Icon Angelique Jackson angelique814 Latest Bradley Cooper Eyed to Direct ‘Ocean’s 11’ Prequel and Star With Margot Robbie 2 days ago Aaron Pierre Joins ‘Superman’ Sequel ‘Man of Tomorrow’ Ahead of Green Lantern Debut in ‘Lanterns’ 3 days ago Billie Eilish in Talks to Make Movie Acting Debut in ‘The Bell Jar’ From ‘Women Talking’ Director Sarah Polley 4 days ago See All ©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection “Hamnet” star Jessie Buckley won the Oscar for best actress at Sunday night’s Academy Awards, becoming the first Irish actress to win the prize. Buckley’s win was perhaps the only lock in an increasingly unpredictable awards race. After all, she swept all the best actress prizes at the major ceremonies, including SAG-AFTRA’s Actor Awards, the BAFTAs, the Critics Choice awards and the Golden Globes. Her streak culminated at the 98th Oscars ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien, who returned as emcee for the second year in a row. Related Stories Vince Gilligan Considered Making 'Pluribus' Cast Naked, but 'We're Not Working for HBO' and 'We Can't Do That to All These Extras' Buckley was nominated alongside Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”), Kate Hudson (“Song Sung Blue”), Renate Reinsve (“Sentimental Value”) and Emma Stone (“Bugonia”). This was Buckley’s second Oscar nomination; she was previously nominated for the best supporting actress prize for “The Lost Daughter.” Popular on Variety In “Hamnet,” directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, Buckley portrays Agnes, a woman who falls in love with a poor Latin tutor named William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), who goes on to become the famed playwright. The historical fiction film follows as the couple wed and have three children, but tragedy strikes when their only son, 11-year-old Hamnet, dies from the plague. As the movie explores the family’s grief over the devastating loss and how the tragedy inspired Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet,” Buckley’s raw, emotional performance captivated audiences. The Focus Features film earned eight nominations at this year’s Oscars, including best picture, best director (Zhao) and best adapted screenplay (Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell), as well as nods for best original score, casting, costume design and production design. “Hamnet” debuted at the Telluride Film Festival last August, where Buckley’s performance was immediately hailed as an Oscar contender. The movie marked a breakthrough moment for the star, who’d already delivered masterful performances in “Women Talking” and “Wild Rose.” Just before Oscars Sunday, Buckley’s latest film, “The Bride!” — a reunion with her “The Lost Daughter” director Maggie Gyllenhaal — debuted in theaters. Next, she’ll star in Alice Rohrwacher’s “Three Incestuous Sisters,” opposite Dakota Johnson, Saoirse Ronan and Josh O’Connor. Jump to Comments Tig Notaro on Sleeping Through the Oscar Nominations: ‘With My CPAP Machine Tubes Coming Out of My Head’ and Honoring Her Friend in ‘Come See Me in the Good Light’ Netflix Sets Release Date for Oscar-Nominated Live-Action Short ‘The Singers’ (EXCLUSIVE) Oscar Voting Closes: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Anonymous Ballots in a Best Picture Race Between ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Sinners’ Barbra Streisand in Talks for Oscars Performance to Honor Robert Redford Oscars Surprise: Live-Action Short Results in Seventh Tie in Academy Awards’ History ‘Sinners’ Cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw on Filming Buddy Guy’s Cameo, Her Favorite Shot and Shares an Update on Reuniting With Ryan Coogler for ‘The X-Files’ JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...