Jessie Buckley Embodies Grief and Instinct in Haunting Performance as Agnes in “Hamnet”
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The critically acclaimed film “Hamnet,” a Focus Features production, has garnered important attention for its poignant portrayal of grief and love, and particularly for Jessie Buckley’s deeply affecting performance as Agnes, the wife of William Shakespeare. Buckley received her first Golden Globe nomination on Monday for her work in the film, wich also received six nominations total, including recognition for co-star Paul Mescal, director Chloe Zhao, and as best motion picture drama.
A Portrait Forged From Within
Buckley’s approach to portraying the past figure, also known as Anne Hathaway, diverged from traditional methods of exhaustive historical research. rather, she sought to build the character “from the inside out,” relying on her own instincts and the dynamic interplay with her fellow actors. “I always approach my characters like strangers that I pass on the street and there’s wild curiosity, and I can’t help but follow them,” Buckley explained. She admitted to briefly attempting a “How to Be a tudor” book, but quickly abandoned the effort, stating, “I read about four pages of it, and I thought, ‘I can’t do this.'”
The Weight of Motherhood and Loss
The role resonated with Buckley on a profoundly personal level, coinciding with her own experiences as a new mother. She spoke of the inherent bravery in choosing to love, acknowledging that it inevitably entails the risk of loss. “What it is indeed to be a mother, to be a family, to love at all is so brave, as anytime you choose to love, you’re also choosing to lose,” she saeid. She described the character of Agnes as “elemental,” and felt a powerful connection to the role, suggesting it wasn’t a choice she made, but rather a collision of circumstances.
An Unscripted Emotional Climax
Buckley described the filming process as a “roller coaster,” particularly the final scene where Agnes watches a performance of Hamlet. This scene, shot over eight days at the Globe Theater with 300 extras, proved to be the most emotionally challenging and unexpectedly powerful. Crucially, the most impactful moments – the extras reaching out toward the dying Hamlet, and the reappearance of Jacobi, the actor portraying Hamnet – were not originally written in the script-they emerged organically during filming.
“There was no hands reaching out. There was no Hamnet. There was nothing,” buckley revealed. “So it was all kind of being discovered in real time.” She recounted the emotional impact of Jacobi’s unexpected appearance, describing it as both heartbreaking and restorative. The scene’s authenticity was further enhanced by a deliberate effort to tap into the collective grief of the extras. After struggling with the scene for several days, Buckley was struck by the song Max Richter’s “On the Nature of Daylight” while driving home.She shared the song with Zhao, and the two collaborated with a facilitator who led the extras in a meditation, “giving them permission to bring their grief” to the scene. This resulted in the spontaneous and deeply moving gesture of the audience reaching out toward the stage.
A Film That Resonates with Audiences
Buckley expressed surprise at the profound emotional response the film has elicited from audiences. “You always hope to affect and touch something in an audience. Your job is to help people feel the things that they maybe need to feel again or see again or recognize in the story that we tell,” she said. She emphasized that “hamnet” is not escapism, but rather a powerful invitation to connect with universal emotions and experience catharsis. “It’s something that can make you connect and feel again. I’m so proud of that.”
