Jessie Buckley Reveals Daughter's Name During Oscars Acceptance Speech
Irish actress Jessie Buckley made a heartfelt revelation during her acceptance speech at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday evening in Los Angeles. While accepting the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Hamnet, the 36-year-old star publicly shared the name of her daughter for the first time, announcing that her eight-month-old child is called Isla.
Historic Win for Irish Cinema
Buckley made history by becoming the first Irish woman to win the Best Actress Oscar, marking a significant milestone for Irish representation in Hollywood. During her emotional speech at the Dolby Theatre, she dedicated her award to "the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart", acknowledging that it was Mother's Day in the United Kingdom.
The actress confirmed in December that she had welcomed her first child "earlier that year", having become pregnant just one week after completing filming for Hamnet. Until Sunday's ceremony, she had kept her daughter's name private from the public.
Family Tributes and Emotional Moments
During her acceptance speech, Buckley paid touching tributes to multiple family members:
- Her parents: "Mom, dad, thank you for teaching us to dream and to never be defined by expectation, but to carve from your own passion."
- Her husband Freddie Sorensen: "You, Fred, I love you. You're the most incredible dad, you're my best friend and I want to have 20,000 more babies with you."
- Her daughter Isla: "Isla, who is eight months and has no idea what is going on and is probably dreaming of milk. But this is a big deal and I love you, I love being your mum and I can't wait to discover life with you."
Buckley also acknowledged her fellow nominees in the Best Actress category, including Emma Stone for Bugonia, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value, and Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue. She expressed admiration for their work, stating: "I am inspired by your art and your heart, and I want to work with every single one of you."
Role in Hamnet and Awards Season Success
In Chloe Zhao's film Hamnet, Buckley portrayed Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare and mother of the titular character. The film received multiple nominations including:
- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Original Score
- Best Casting
- Best Production Design
- Best Costume Design
Throughout the 2026 awards season, Buckley had already accumulated numerous accolades for her performance, including wins at the Actor Awards (formerly SAG Awards), BAFTAs, Critics' Choice Awards, and Golden Globes. She was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 2022 for her role in The Lost Daughter.
Director Chloe Zhao praised Buckley's performance, telling IndieWire in November 2025: "I knew her work. I had a feeling that she wouldn't be afraid. There was no vanity in her... Actors, their greatest blessing they can give to the world is their authenticity and their humanness."
Other Major Oscar Winners
The 98th Academy Awards featured several notable victories beyond Buckley's historic win:
Michael B. Jordan secured a surprise Best Actor win for his performance in Sinners, upsetting favorite Timothée Chalamet who starred in Marty Supreme. Jordan portrayed twin brothers Elijah and Elias Moore in the vampire-themed film directed by Ryan Coogler.
One Battle After Another emerged as the night's biggest winner, taking home six awards including Best Picture. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the film centers on ex-revolutionaries reuniting to rescue a comrade's daughter. Anderson accepted the top prize alongside cast member Teyana Taylor.
The film triumphed over a competitive field that included Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams.
Sean Penn earned his third Oscar, though he was not in attendance to accept the award. He triumphed over his One Battle After Another co-star Benicio Del Toro and Jacob Elordi.
The award presentation to Buckley was made by last year's Best Actress winner Mikey Madison, star of Anora, completing a symbolic passing of the torch between generations of acclaimed actresses.
