“Hamnet” star Jessie Buckley became an Irish national hero on Sunday night as she made Oscar history, becoming the first best actress winner from the country. Back home in Ireland, Buckley was celebrated by President Catherine Connolly alongside Irish animator Richard Baneham, who won for best visual effects on “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
“Jessie Buckley’s award is an historic moment,” Connolly said in a press release sent out on Monday morning. “This achievement is a thoroughly deserved testament not only to Jessie’s outstanding performance in ‘Hamnet,’ but to her performances both in film and on stage across her career to date. I know that her proud community in Kerry and beyond will be sharing with her in this wonderful achievement.”
Prime Minister Micheál Martin also posted on social media to praise Buckley. “Congratulations Jessie Buckley on your historic Oscar success! A well deserved win too for Richard Baneham on a wonderful night for Irish film and the performing arts.” https://x.com/MichealMartinTD/status/2033372530770317383?s=20
Buckley, who stars opposite Paul Mescal as a woman coping with the death of her young son in Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” was also cheered by her brother, Killian. Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTE, he said: “I’m so, so proud of her, it’s just beautiful to see somebody like that. She’s my sister but she’s such a kind person and she’s a real person.”
While on stage last night, Buckley shared that her family was in the audience because “Ireland bought them flights” and paid tribute to them. “Mom, Dad, thank you for teaching us to dream and to never be defined by expectation but to care from your own passion,” said Buckley, who had been previously nominated for the best supporting actress prize for “The Lost Daughter.”
Buckley, who was visibly moved upon hearing her name read as the best actress winner, said the timing of this honor had a particular symbolic as it coincided with Mother’s Day in the U.K. “I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart,” said Buckley. “We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds.” The actor, who recently became a mother herself, joked that eight-month-old daughter probably “has no idea what’s going on and is probably dreaming of milk.”
Locals in Kerry had been rooting for Buckley to win the Oscars with posters dispatched across the small town, as shown below.
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