Jessie Buckley’s ascent to the top of the film world reached a new pinnacle on February 23, 2026, when she became the first Irish actress to win the BAFTA for Leading Actress. The award, given for her spellbinding role as Agnes Hathaway in Hamnet, marked a watershed moment not just for Buckley but for Irish women in film. The ceremony, held in London, was already charged with anticipation, but the moment Cillian Murphy—himself a celebrated Irish actor and former BAFTA winner—handed Buckley the prize, the night took on an unmistakably poignant Irish resonance. According to Daily Times, this Irish-to-Irish exchange was the most touching highlight of an evening packed with emotion and celebration.
As Buckley took the stage, her acceptance speech was a heartfelt reflection on her unlikely journey. She recalled, “As a little girl, I never in a million years thought I would get to make a film. I had nuclear bad fake tan on, white hoop earrings, a polka-dot red skirt, and had the audacity to say one day I wanted to be like Judi Dench.” The audience listened intently as she dedicated her award “to the women past, present, and future who taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently.” Buckley didn’t stop there—she paid tribute to her daughter, who has accompanied her since she was just six weeks old, declaring, “It’s the best role of my life being your mum, and I promise to continue to be disobedient so you can belong to a world in all your complete wildness as a young woman.”
This BAFTA win is only the latest in a remarkable string of victories for Buckley in 2026. She has already collected Leading Actress honors at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and the IFTAs, cementing her status as the front-runner for Best Actress at the 98th Academy Awards, scheduled for March 15, 2026. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Buckley’s performance in Hamnet has been described by Rolling Stone as one that “they will be talking about for years.” Her portrayal of Agnes—wife of William Shakespeare and mother of their three children—has been widely recognized as a career-defining achievement.
The field Buckley triumphed over was formidable. Among the nominees were Jennifer Lawrence for Die, My Love, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value, Julia Roberts for After the Hunt, Tessa Thompson for Hedda, and Eva Victor for Sorry, Baby. Yet it was Buckley’s earthy, emotionally raw performance that captured the hearts of both audiences and critics alike.
Her journey to this moment has been anything but conventional. Born in Cork and raised in Killarney, Ireland, Buckley’s early life was shaped by her family’s guest house and her mother’s passion for music. “My mom is a musician. She works as a music psychotherapist for people in palliative care, and she is a harpist and a singer,” Buckley shared in an interview at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. These early influences instilled in Buckley a love of storytelling and performance that would guide her through the twists and turns of her career.
At just 17, Buckley became a finalist on the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything, an experience that was both exhilarating and challenging. She recalled the bittersweet nature of public self-discovery, saying, “There were moments of huge lows and huge highs, in a very public space.” Despite early setbacks—such as being rejected from her first-choice drama school—Buckley’s determination and the support of figures like Cameron Mackintosh, who sponsored her attendance at a Shakespeare workshop at RADA, kept her moving forward. Eventually, she was able to attend and graduate from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, thanks in part to the generosity of supporters who believed in her talent.
Buckley’s stage and screen career quickly gathered steam. She won acclaim for her role in 2018’s Wild Rose, earning her first BAFTA nomination. This was followed by standout performances in The Lost Daughter (2021), which brought her Oscar and BAFTA nominations, and Women Talking (2022), which garnered Critics Choice and ensemble nominations. Her versatility as an actress has been widely praised; The Observer called her “one of the most exciting actors of her generation,” while Vanity Fair noted her “dazzling charisma and remarkable authenticity.”
But it is Hamnet that has truly catapulted Buckley into the center of the awards conversation. The film, directed by Chloé Zhao, explores the life and grief of Agnes Shakespeare, and Buckley’s preparation for the role was as unconventional as it was immersive. She drew inspiration from her dreams, used guided meditations, and worked closely with Zhao to create a performance that was both grounded and transcendent. “I find dreams, or even taking a scene in a script as if it was a dream, and writing around that in an abstract way, just stirs the water to help you enter into an essence of where you think you might travel,” Buckley explained. The result was a portrayal so powerful that even unscripted moments—like the gut-wrenching scream at her character’s son’s death—left a lasting impact on audiences and critics alike.
Buckley’s humility and gratitude remain undiminished by her recent success. Reflecting on the whirlwind of awards season, she said, “Sometimes you can’t take it in. Sometimes you’re just changing a nappy, and you’re really grateful for that nappy, like, ‘I’m a real person, I’m a real person!’ And then you have moments where you’re like, ‘What?! This doesn’t happen in a life.’” Despite the glitz and glamour, Buckley remains grounded, recognizing the privilege and responsibility of telling women’s stories on screen. “I believe in women’s voices to tell those stories,” she said in her BAFTA speech, emphasizing her commitment to authenticity and representation.
As the Oscars approach, Buckley’s name is on everyone’s lips. Her journey—from a young girl with big dreams in Killarney to standing on the world’s biggest stages—serves as a testament to resilience, talent, and the transformative power of storytelling. Whether or not she takes home the Best Actress Oscar in March, Jessie Buckley has already made history and inspired countless others to follow in her footsteps.