(Credits: Far Out / Jay Dixit)
Tue 3 March 2026 5:30, UK
Those who follow independent cinema closely may have been shocked to see how quickly Jessie Buckley has transformed from an under-the-radar, underrated actor to one of the most celebrated performers of her generation.
While it was less than a decade ago that Buckley was starring in low-profile British dramas like Wild Rose and Beast, she’s now looking to sweep the entire award season for her performance in Hamnet, and even if her career appears to only be getting started, she has shown an impressive degree of range that has made her impossible to typecast.
After playing a struggling country singer in Wild Rose and a figment of the imagination in I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Buckley turned in a wild, darkly amusing performance in the controversial fourth season of Fargo. Between psychological dramas, such as The Lost Daughter, body horror like Men, historical epic Taboo, romantic comedy Fingernails, and acclaimed adaptations, like Women Talking, there doesn’t appear to be a drama that she is unwilling to tackle.
It’s a credit to the brilliance of her performance that she has managed to survive some of the backlash to Hamnet, which has earned a more mixed reception after the overblown reactions from those who attended the premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in the fall. While Chloé Zhao’s biopic is guilty of being manipulative and unwilling to grant its female lead much agency, Hamnet hits a moment of emotional profundity purely because of Buckley’s strong dedication to the role.
It’s no coincidence that she feels like the type of generational star who only pops up once in a while, as she has cited actors like Frances McDormand, Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, and Laura Dern as her biggest inspirations.
“What they play is so full,” she said, “They’re not playing something to appeal. They’re playing a life that is complex and rich and uncomfortable and challenging and provocative. What I’ve learned from them is, get to know yourself and just keep being ruthless in bringing the life force of what it is to be a woman to the surface.”
What’s interesting is that Buckley has already had the opportunity to appear alongside one of her idols, as she and McDormand were co-stars in the ‘Best Picture’-nominated drama Women Talking, and while neither had a particularly large role, as the film granted more screen time to Claire Foy and Rooney Mara, the former are two actors who can elevate even the tiniest of parts.
Buckley’s comments about finding roles that are empowering to women are also interesting, considering that she’s one of the few to truly put her money where her mouth is by working with female directors. Although there’s not a single award show in which the lack of female representation behind the camera is not called out, not all of those making outcries are willing to actually work with women directors.
In the last few years, the actor has worked with Sarah Polley, Chloé Zhao, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Thea Sharrock, and Philippa Lowthorpe, a sign that she is putting in the work to ensure that she has a legacy of her own; in the years to come, it seems likely that there will be new, younger stars who will be citing her as their inspiration for taking up an interest in acting.