Jessie Buckley scooped a Golden Globe award for best actress in a drama at the 2026 ceremony – but how much do you know about the actress?
Jessie Buckley has been a growing star in Hollywood for several years now, and this culminated with the actress winning the Best Actress in a Drama award at the Golden Globes on Sunday.
Jessie scooped the award for her performance as Agnes – better known as Anne – Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare in the movie Hamnet. She fought of competition from other high profile actors including Julia Roberts and Jennifer Lawrence. The Golden Globes are often seen as an indication of who could be in line for an Oscar nomination.
“This is not a normal feeling of situation to be in,” Jessie said in her acceptance speech, which also included praise for one of the Polish crew members on the set of the movie who made “delicious” soup.
But how much do you know about Jessie Buckley? Here are six facts about her that you might not know.
Jessie was turned down by two drama schools
Jessie was involved in acting from a young age and while at school appeared in several shows, including playing some male lead roles, such as Jet gang founder Tony in West Side Story.
She also attended The Association of Irish Musical Societies workshops during her summers, where she was encouraged to apply for drama school. However, she initially found this difficult and was turned down by two drama schools in 2008, before she got her big break.
She got her big break on a talent contest
Jessie first came to prominence in the UK when she appeared on the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything in 2008. The show searched for an unknown actor to play the role of Nancy in a London West End stage revival of the famous musical Oliver! While Jessie was the favourite to win among the judges, she came second in the public vote to Jodie Prenger.
While she was offered the chance to understudy Nancy, she declined the offer in favour of appearing in another stage show, a revival of A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim.
She is an accomplished musician
Fans might remember Jessie’s singing in movies such as Wild Rose in 2018 but she is also an accomplished musician too. As a child, she achieved Grade 8 in piano, clarinet and harp.
In addition, Jessie teamed up with legendary former London Suede guitarist Bernard Butler for the 2022 album For All Our Days That Tear the Heart, which was nominated for the Mercury Prize – a prestigious music award in the UK.
Jessie once dated James Norton
Jessie was once one half of a high-profile couple, when she dated fellow actor James Norton from 2015 to 2017. They met while filming War & Peace for the BBC. However, they remained friends after the split.
Today, Jessie is married to Freddie, a mental health worker. In 2025, the couple celebrated the birth of their first child, a girl.
She has won multiple awards
Jessie’s triumph at the Golden Globes is just the latest in a long line of prestigious awards she has won or been nominated for in recent years.
For instance, Jessie won an Olivier award in 2021 as Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Sally Bowles in a 2021 West End revival of Cabaret.
She has also been nominated for an Oscar. In 2021, she was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in The Lost Daughter.
She supports good causes
Jessie is an ambassador for The Matt Talbot Community Trust, an organisation that provides support for people who are recovering from addiction.
