Exclusive: Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley talk Chloé Zhao's Hamnet
Currently in theaters from Focus Features is Hamnet, directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao and starring Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare. Set in the 16th century, the full cast includes Joe Alwyn, Emily Watson, Jacobi Jupe, Jack Shalloo, David Wilmot, and Noah Jupe.
The screenplay is written by Maggie O'Farrell and Chloe Zhao; adapted from Maggie O'Farrell's book also titled "Hamnet". Produced by Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Gonda, Sam Mendes, and Steven Spielberg.
1580 England. Impoverished Latin tutor William Shakespeare meets free-spirited Agnes, and the pair, captivated by one another, strike up a torrid affair that leads to marriage and three children. Yet as Will pursues a budding theater career in far-away London, Agnes anchors the domestic sphere alone. When tragedy strikes, the couple’s once-unshakable bond is tested, but their shared experience sets the stage for the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece.
Buckley had her breakthrough starring in the musical film Wild Rose. Her performance as an aspiring country music singer in the latter earned her a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her subsequent films include starring roles in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl (2019), I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), season four of Fargo (2020), The Lost Daughter (2021), Men (2022) and Women Talking (2022). Her performance in The Lost Daughter earned her nominations for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Buckley's portrayal of Sally Bowles in a 2021 West End theatre revival of Cabaret won her the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Mescal was widely praised for his leading role in the BBC / Hulu romantic drama miniseries Normal People (2020), earning a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. He made his film debut in the psychological drama The Lost Daughter (2021).
He received critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a troubled father in the coming-of-age drama Aftersun (2022), a BAFTA Award nomination for his supporting role in the psychological drama All of Us Strangers (2023), and box-office success with the historical action film Gladiator II (2024). On stage, he portrayed Stanley Kowalski in a West End revival of the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire (2022), which earned him the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor.
Blackfilmandtv.com's Wilson Morales talks to Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley on their roles in Chloé Zhao's Hamnet
