The new year has placed Irish actress Jessie Buckley firmly in the cinematic spotlight as the star of one of 2026's most anticipated releases. She headlines director Chloé Zhao's historical drama Hamnet, a poignant adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's bestselling novel which explores William Shakespeare's marriage to Agnes and the profound grief following their son's death.
A Deliberately Private Partnership
Despite the intense promotional schedule for the film, which opened to acclaim at the Telluride Film Festival last August and is now in UK cinemas, Buckley's husband will be conspicuously absent from the red carpet. In a candid interview with British Vogue, the 36-year-old explained that her spouse, mental health worker Freddie whom she married in 2023, will not be making a public debut anytime soon. Buckley insists that the sensitive nature of his profession necessitates his anonymity, keeping their life together in Norfolk fiercely private.
"There will be no red-carpet debut in our immediate future," Buckley confirmed, stating she will continue to attend premieres alongside her co-star and close friend, Paul Mescal, who plays Shakespeare.
Forging On-Screen Chemistry Through Unconventional Methods
To cultivate the deep connection needed to portray the iconic couple, director Chloé Zhao employed unique methods. Before filming began, Buckley and Mescal participated in a tantric workshop designed to fast-track their intimacy, alongside nights out dancing to Abba in New York.
The workshop involved embodying symbolic representations of male and female energy, an experience Buckley initially found "excruciatingly embarrassing". However, she told Vogue that after the first few minutes, the barrier was broken: "You're like: 'We've been a penis and a vagina in front of each other, so let's just go.'" The technique proved successful, with critics widely praising their powerful on-screen chemistry.
How 'Hamnet' Inspired a Personal Transformation
Buckley credits her role as the grieving Agnes with awakening a profound desire for motherhood. She revealed to Vogue that she even borrowed a prosthetic belly from the production to "feel the weight of it" while at home. The film's harrowing storyline, dealing with the loss of a child, tapped into what she described as a "deep need" to find her own path to parenthood.
Now a new mother, Buckley reflects on the seismic shift it has caused, comparing the experience to being "a beetle on your back". She shared a friend's poignant advice: "Don't forget that you're also a new thing when you become a mother." Buckley mused on how her relationship with the world, her partner, and her work has been utterly transformed.
Hamnet, which received a wider theatrical release in the United States and opened across Great Britain on January 9, continues to draw audiences with its moving portrayal of love and loss. The full interview with Jessie Buckley is available in the February issue of British Vogue, on newsstands from Tuesday 20th January.
