IRISH actress Jessie Buckley has won Best Actress at the BAFTA Film Awards for her performance in Hamnet, marking a landmark moment for Irish talent on one of Britain’s biggest film stages.
Buckley, who was born in Killarney, Co. Kerry, and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, had been widely tipped as the favourite and duly triumphed for her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare, the grieving wife of William Shakespeare.
The film is based on the acclaimed 2020 novel by Irish author Maggie O’Farrell, who was born in Coleraine, Co. Derry, and raised in Wales. O’Farrell’s book reimagines the emotional aftermath of the death of Shakespeare’s young son Hamnet, focusing on Agnes and her profound loss.
Accepting the award, Buckley paid tribute to the women who had shaped her life and career.
“This is nuts,” she told the audience. “This really does belong to the women past, present and future that taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently.”
Buckley, 36, has steadily built an international reputation in recent years with acclaimed roles in films including The Lost Daughter and Women Talking, as well as the television drama Chernobyl. However, her performance in Hamnet has been widely regarded as her most emotionally powerful screen role to date.
Her victory marks the first time an Irish actress has won the BAFTA for Best Actress, underlining the growing prominence of Irish performers in British and international cinema.
While the main BAFTA categories are often dominated by Hollywood productions, the awards also recognise UK-based filmmaking. Hamnet was named Outstanding British Film, further cementing its status as one of the year’s most significant productions.
The film’s success represents a notable collaboration between Irish literary and acting talent, bringing O’Farrell’s deeply personal interpretation of Shakespeare’s family life to a global audience.
The ceremony also included a moving tribute to leading figures from the creative arts who have died over the past year, with Catherine O’Hara, Rob Reiner, Gene Hackman, Brigitte Bardot and Robert Redford among those honoured.
Buckley’s win continues a remarkable period for Irish performers internationally, reflecting the country’s enduring influence on literature, theatre and film.