American singer and talk-show host Kelly Clarkson has said that she “wept” while watching Hamnet a film which stars Irish actors Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley.
Ms Clarkson confessed to the stars of the film the profound impact that it had on her, when they appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Tuesday December 9. She was “weeping alone” in a room in Vegas watching it, she said.
“I haven’t seen a movie that has moved me in such a way,” Ms Clarkson said, describing their performances as “captivating” and “enchanting.”
The Maggie O’Farrell novel, which has been adapted by Chloé Zhao, is the story of playwright, poet and actor, William Shakespeare, and the people and experiences that shaped him, and inspired his work – in particular, the tragic death of his son, Hamnet.
Hamnet – Official Trailer
The actors spoke about how they prepared for their roles, as Mr Mescal said that there were “some heavy sections of the film,” after which they would decompress by dancing to music by Rihanna.
“We would do that at the end of the day to kind of just remind ourselves that it’s not real, that its pretend and that everybody is safe and happy,” said Mescal, who received an Oscar nomination in 2023 for his role in the film Aftersun.
Buckley and Mescal, from counties Kerry and Kildare, respectively are set to attend the Irish premier of Hamnet in Dublin this weekend.
There will be a special screening of the film at the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield, on Saturday, December 13, with the film being released in Irish cinemas on January 9, 2026.