Jessie Buckley is one of Ireland and Hollywood's brightest talents, with all eyes on her right now.
She is being talked about as an Oscar favourite, thanks to critical acclaim, early awards season wins, industry predictions, and the buzz around her powerhouse performance in Hamnet.
The Kerry native has already taken home some major trophies for her performance, including the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, wins that often point toward Oscar glory.
Buckley has been building her craft since her late teens, honing her acting and singing chops in theatre, TV, and film. This isn't overnight fame; it's years of dedication finally paying off. So, where did it all begin?
A star is born
Buckley's talent feels very much rooted in how she was raised. The 36-year-old hails from Killarney in Co Kerry, where she grew up as the eldest of five in a lively, creative home.
In interviews, she has described a home where music and expression were simply part of everyday life. With a mother who is a trained opera singer and vocal coach, and a father with a deep love of poetry, she was surrounded by performance and storytelling from an early age.
Singing and getting involved in school productions came naturally to her, and by 17, she had packed her bags for London to dive headfirst into theatre and performance.
From reality TV to the royal stage
Back in 2008, Buckley made her first big splash on the BBC reality show I'd Do Anything, which was Andrew Lloyd Webber's search for a fresh face to play Nancy in the West End revival of Oliver!. She wowed the judges and made it all the way to the final, finishing as runner-up to Jodie Prenger.
Even though she was offered the understudy role for Nancy, Buckley turned it down when she was invited to perform in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music in London instead. After that, she decided to really hone her craft and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), graduating in 2013.
Watch: Jessie Buckley singing The Man That Got Away on I'd Do Anything
Top of the class
Once she finished at RADA, Buckley threw herself into performing, with one of her first big roles being Miranda in The Tempest at Shakespeare's Globe in London.
Shortly afterwards, she appeared in the TV adaptation of Shades of Love and shared the stage with Jude Law in Michael Grandage's West End Henry V. She then took on Perdita in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's The Winter's Tale.
By 2016, she returned to the screen as Marya Bolkonskaya in the BBC's War and Peace. The following year, she appeared as Lorna Bow in Taboo alongside Tom Hardy and played Honor Martin in The Last Post.
Lights, camera, action!
Buckley is one of those actors who commands attention from the first frame. Although she made her film debut in the psychological thriller Beast (2017), it was her performance as a single Scottish mum in Wild Rose (2018) that truly announced her as a force to be reckoned with, earning her a BAFTA nomination.
Since then, she has refused to be pigeonholed. From the chilling intensity of Chernobyl (2019) to the darkly stylish Fargo (2020) and the surreal unease of I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), she has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to move effortlessly between genres.
That versatility culminated in 2022 with an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for The Lost Daughter, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, which cemented Buckley's status as one of the most exciting actors of her generation.
From scene-stealer to frontrunner
Buckley may have seemed unstoppable before, but Hamnet (2025) proves she is untouchable. Her portrayal of Agnes - the wife of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) - has been called the heart and soul of the film, earning her an Academy Award nomination, Best Actress at the 2026 Critics' Choice Awards and the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama.
If she wins the Oscar at this year's ceremony, she would be the first Irish woman ever to do so in this category.
Mum's the word
Buckley's greatest achievement to date isn't an award, but welcoming her baby girl with her husband, Freddie.
In a recent interview with British Vogue, the new mum shared some deeply moving advice she received after becoming a mother last year. Speaking about her six-month-old daughter, she revealed that a friend offered her a perspective that has stayed with her since she welcomed her child in 2025.
"A friend said to me, 'Don't forget that you're also a new thing when you become a mother.' A lot of attention is given to this little baby, but your relationship to the world is new, your relationship with your partner is new, and your relationship to your work is new. I don't know what the next story is that I need to tell because it's seismic what's happened."
Buckley has also reflected on how her role as Agnes in Hamnet intensified her longing for motherhood.
Watch: Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal chat to RTÉ Entertainment
Speaking after winning her Critics' Choice Award earlier in the month, she explained how the experience resonated on a personal level.
"Well, I wasn't a mother at the time that I filmed it. I deeply wanted to be a mother, but I have a mother, and I know women, and we're pretty epic."
The right notes
In 2022, Buckley won an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Sally Bowles in Cabaret in the West End, a role that involves significant singing, including iconic numbers such as Maybe This Time and Don't Tell Mama.
That same year, Buckley worked on an album with Bernard Butler, the former Suede guitarist and acclaimed producer. The project was a collaborative studio album titled For All Our Days That Tear the Heart, which was shortlisted for the prestigious Mercury Prize, one of the UK and Ireland's top music honours.
The album received generally favourable reviews from critics and was praised for blending Buckley's vocal depth with Butler's rich musical arrangements.
Watch: Jessie Buckley and Bernard Butler perform on The Late Late Show in 2023
In 2023, Buckley captivated audiences at Culture Night: Live at Dún Lúiche, joining forces with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra to honour the late Sinéad O'Connor with a stirring performance of her iconic song Troy.
Ahead of the performance, Buckley spoke about O'Connor’s influence, describing her as a "huge influence on so many women in Ireland and across the world - her courage, her mind, her intense beauty and soul" and calling her a "warrior to humanity".
Watch: Jessie Buckley honours the late Sinéad O'Connor with a stirring rendition of Troy
Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment during her Wild Rose press tour in 2019, Buckley said she was "excited about the prospects" that might come her way, insisting that "I'm still just a Kerry girl!"
Oscar win or not in March, one thing is for sure: Buckley has cemented herself as a national treasure.
