For Emily Watson, describing her role as William Shakespeare's mother in the forthcoming film Hamnet as a 'full-circle moment' is a profound understatement. The adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's bestselling novel, which delves into the Bard's family life during the bubonic plague, has already garnered six Golden Globe nominations. This makes it the most talked-about Shakespearean film since Shakespeare in Love swept the Oscars in 1999.
A Lifelong Bond with The Bard
Watson, 58, holds the most personal connection to Britain's national writer of anyone in the cast. Her first visit to the Royal Shakespeare Company was at age seven, a regular childhood activity inspired by her mother, a devoted Shakespearean who read his works nearly every day. This was more than just cultural enrichment; Watson's parents were members of the conservative, Hindu-based School of Economic Science (SES), where Shakespeare was one of the few permitted writers alongside the Bible and spiritual texts.
"There was Shakespeare, the Bible and various spiritual texts," Watson recalls. She clung to Shakespeare, with her first professional acting job at the RSC. It's also where she met her husband of 30 years, actor Jack Waters, from Stratford-upon-Avon. They even named one of their two children Juliet. Playing Mary Arden, mother to Shakespeare and grandmother to the tragic Hamnet, felt like "spells and magic happening."
From Sect Upbringing to Cinematic Breakthrough
Watson's unusual upbringing at the SES-run St James school in West London was strict and harsh, with young women told there was no sex before marriage. "The aim was a spiritual life – but it was strict and harsh," she says. The sect's rigid values clashed with normal teenage feelings, fostering a sense of guilt and fear she admits is "easily available" to her as an actor.
Her cinematic debut in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves (1996) – a role deemed too explicit for Helena Bonham Carter – earned her an Oscar nomination and global fame. It also led to her expulsion from the SES, though she was ready to leave. "I had somewhere to go where I felt alive. I wasn't just running away. I was going towards something," she states. She later reconciled with her parents before their deaths.
Mentorship and Magic on the Hamnet Set
Watson's role in Hamnet came via her close friend and mentee, Jessie Buckley, who persuaded director Chloé Zhao to cast her. Initially unsure if the novel's rich prose could be filmed, Watson says Zhao, the Oscar-winning director of Nomadland, tapped into its magic. "She's a witch! She has magic in her!" Watson exclaims.
The set was unique, with days beginning with games and rituals and ending with ceremonial dancing to keep everyone connected. Watson was a supportive presence for Buckley during demanding birth and death scenes. "I know that having someone there who knows how much it costs really helps," she notes.
She also praises Paul Mescal's performance as Shakespeare, impressed by his grounded nature amidst his skyrocketing fame. This marks the second time Watson has played his on-screen mother, following God's Creatures in 2022.
Despite early Oscar nominations for Breaking the Waves and Hilary and Jackie (1998), Watson chose artistic integrity over Hollywood riches. She has turned down iconic roles, including Elizabeth I (which went to Cate Blanchett) and Amélie, due to doubts about her French. "I just knew that my currency would be work that had creative integrity," she explains.
Now, she finds more rewarding roles available for actresses in their fifties and feels less pressure about her appearance than she did in Hollywood. At home, she treasures walks with her husband and values their enduring marriage, though she admits the work-life balance is "brutal."
Her worldview remains thoughtful and complex. When asked what brings her joy, she replies, "Joy is hard to come by," revealing she recently spent over four hours reading a harrowing list of child casualties in Gaza before allowing herself to watch The Celebrity Traitors. It's a stark reminder of the guilt from her childhood that never fully left her.
Reflecting on her parents and her past, Watson concludes with hard-won wisdom: "The older I get, the more I realise it's OK to be confused about lots of things." Hamnet arrives in cinemas this Friday.
