Jessie Buckley becomes first Irish winner of best actress Oscar for Hamnet

Buckley, who plays Shakespeare’s wife Agnes in adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, was favourite to win after victories in all preceding ceremonies Jessie Buckley has won the best actress Oscar for Hamnet at the 98th Academy Awards. This is Buckley’s first Oscar win, for which she triumphed over a strong field including Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue and Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value. With her victory, Buckley becomes the first Irish winner of the best actress Oscar, although previous nominees in the category include Saoirse Ronan (for Brooklyn, Lady Bird and Little Women) and Ruth Negga (for Loving). In Hamnet, Buckley, 36, plays Agnes Shakespeare, the wife of playwright William (played by Paul Mescal). It is an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, directed by Chloé Zhao. “Thank you to the incredible women that I stand beside,” she said. “I am inspired by your art and your heart, and I want to work with every single one of you.” Buckley reported that Ireland had paid for flights for her family to be with her, and then thanked her father for “teaching us to dream and to never be defined by expectation to carry from your own p