> At a Glance
> – Jessie Buckley accepted the 2026 Critics Choice Award for Best Actress and revealed she “deeply wanted” to be a mom while shooting Hamnet
> – She later welcomed a baby girl, now 6 months old, with husband Freddie, a mental-health worker
> – Buckley plays Agnes, mother of three and wife to Paul Mescal’s William Shakespeare, in the film
> – Why it matters: Her real-life journey into motherhood mirrors the maternal role that earned her critical acclaim
After winning Best Actress at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, Jessie Buckley shared how the ache for motherhood shaped her performance in Hamnet-and how life soon caught up with art.
Channeling a Mother Before She Was One
Buckley filmed Hamnet long before becoming a parent. Asked how she accessed the mindset of Agnes, mother to three children, she told press-room reporters:
> “I wasn’t a mother at the time that I filmed it. I deeply wanted to be a mother, but I have a mother and I know women and we’re pretty epic.”
She leaned on the collective strength of the women around her:
- Drew from personal relationships
- Tapped into her own longing
- Celebrated the “multitudes” women carry
> “To give this woman who has always been kind of misplaced beside this giant that is Shakespeare … a voice was such a privilege.”
From Red-Carpet Bump to 4 A.M. Nappy Changes
The 36-year-old Irish actress debuted her pregnancy on an April 2025 red carpet at CinemaCon. She confirmed the October birth of her daughter on The New York Times’ Modern Love podcast.
Motherhood, by the numbers:
| Moment | Detail |
|---|---|
| Baby bump reveal | April 2025 |
| Daughter born | October 2025 |
| Age during Elle chat | 8 weeks |
| Current age | 6 months |
Buckley calls those early smiles “otherworldly”:
> “Even when you’re having a hard day, they … make your heart crack into a thousand pieces and you think, ‘Oh, it’s all going to be okay.'”
Awards-Night Reality Check
Despite the glamour of the Critics Choice Awards, Buckley’s mind was on practical matters:
> “I’ve got a 6-month-old at home who’s got a chesty cough and I changed her nappy at 4:00 a.m. this morning.”
She views the trophy season as “the greatest office party” and remains grounded:
- Keeps family first
- Celebrates creative community
- Sees any artistic endeavor as “a triumph”
Key Takeaways
- Buckley’s Best Actress win caps a year of critical praise for Hamnet
- Real-life desire to be a mom informed her nuanced portrayal of Agnes
- Off-screen, she and husband Freddie are navigating life with their 6-month-old daughter
As Hamnet continues its theatrical run, audiences can watch the role that turned Buckley’s maternal longing into award-winning art.
