Acclaimed Irish actress Jessie Buckley has officially confirmed the arrival of her first child, a baby girl, and opened up about how her latest film role powerfully catalysed her journey into motherhood.
A Private Joy Revealed
The fiercely private 35-year-old star, who first revealed her pregnancy in April 2024 by showcasing her baby bump on a red carpet, had kept the birth itself under wraps. She has chosen not to publicly disclose her daughter's name. Buckley's pregnancy followed her marriage to her mystery partner, known only as 'Freddie', a mental health professional, a year prior. The couple, who met on a blind date, split their time between London and Norfolk.
Hamnet's Profound Maternal Impact
Speaking candidly on The New York Times' Modern Love podcast, Buckley linked her pregnancy directly to the emotional intensity of filming Hamnet. In the film, she portrays Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare (played by Paul Mescal), grappling with the tragic death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet—a loss that inspired the play Hamlet.
"I’m not surprised I got pregnant a week after I finished filming," Buckley explained. She described "coaxing" out a profound maternal need while immersed in the character's "place of absolute mother," an experience she found "quite intense" as it was not yet her reality. "I think when I was filming Hamnet, I deeply wanted to become a mother myself," she reflected, calling the process "a gift" to navigate motherhood, love, and loss before her own child arrived.
Empowerment and Hopes for Her Daughter
Buckley described her pregnancy and preparations for birth as a deeply empowering experience, allowing her to feel autonomous in her choices. Now a mother, she has begun to consider the lessons she wishes to impart to her newborn daughter.
"I just hope that if I can pass anything onto her... is that all the parts of you are not too much," Buckley mused. "The world needs all of you, and that means incubating the struggles... The things that are going to challenge you, you have to metabolize it and incubate it. And there’s no too-muchness. It’s only to be lived fully."
She also discussed the film and motherhood on The Graham Norton Show, appearing stylish in a Celine suit alongside guests Paul Rudd and Jack Black. Buckley admitted she first watched Hamnet while eight months pregnant. "I was not okay. It was so embarrassing to cry at my own film, but it was so beautiful," she said, describing the project as "a real peek behind the curtain" and a story about "love, loss, motherhood and storytelling."
This new chapter comes seven years after her self-described "acrimonious" split from actor James Norton, with whom she remains friends. Hamnet is scheduled for release in UK cinemas on January 9, 2025.
