
Celebrity


Jessie Buckley's award season triumph has been incredibly inspiring to watch, especially for the women of Ireland.
Buckley took home the Leading Actress BAFTA at the award ceremony in London last night, making her the first Irish actress to win in this category.
Jessie Buckley won the Leading Actress BAFTA for her role as Agnes Hathaway in Hamnet.
Buckley shared, "As a little girl, I never in a million years thought I would get to make a film. I had nuclear bad fake tan on, white hoop earrings, a polka-dot red skirt, and had the audacity to say one day I wanted to be like Judi Dench."
"This is nuts, this really does belong to the women past, present, and future who taught me and continue to teach me how to do it differently," Buckley shared.
Buckley continued, "You are all just radical, and you are doing it for the naughty girls, and I’m in awe of all your incredible performances. I love films, and I believe in storytelling. I believe in women’s voices to tell those stories…"
She also paid tribute to her baby girl during the moving speech.
"I share this with my daughter, who has been with me since she was six weeks old, on the road with this.
"It’s the best role of my life being your mum, and I promise to continue to be disobedient so you can belong to a world in all your complete wildness as a young woman. I am very grateful for this."
Her BAFTA win comes after immense success for Buckley, who has taken home the Leading Actress award at the Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice, and the IFTAs.
Speaking in Dublin on Friday night, Buckley said playing Agnes in Hamnet has been life-changing for her.
"To be recognised for telling the story of a mother and all her strength and tenderness and the precipices of life and death and love that she has means the world," she shared.
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23rd February 2026
11:36am GMT