Jessie Buckley has officially won Best Actress at the 2026 Academy Awards for her work in Hamnet, turning one of the most acclaimed performances of the season into an Oscar win and giving Chloé Zhao’s literary drama one of the biggest victories of the night. The win caps off a major awards run for Buckley, who had already emerged as a frontrunner throughout the season. Reports had framed her as the outstanding favorite heading into Oscar night, with Hamnet also positioned as a major contender in several top categories, but it’s still satisfying to see the favorite deliver.
That makes tonight feel less like a surprise than a coronation — but it is still a huge deal. Buckley’s performance as Agnes has been the emotional centerpiece of Hamnet’s entire awards story, with critics and awards voters rallying around her work in a film that reimagines the grief and private life surrounding Shakespeare’s family. The film was directed by Zhao, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Maggie O’Farrell, adapting O’Farrell’s bestselling 2020 novel. The cast is led by Buckley as Agnes and Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare, with Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe, and Noah Jupe in supporting roles.
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How Good Is ‘Hamnet’?
Collider’s review by Ross Bonaime stated that Buckley’s portrayal is remarkable not only in the film’s most emotional moments but in the quiet details. A hesitant touch. A hand reaching for someone who is no longer there. A confused glance at a world that suddenly feels unrecognizable. Buckley makes Agnes’ grief feel deeply physical, as if the loss has fundamentally altered the way she moves through life.
“Both Buckley and Mescal are incredible in Hamnet, showing an unflinching emotional rawness. The complete and utter destruction of one’s soul is exactly what Buckley is portraying, and it’s nothing short of magnificent what she’s able to pull off here. Not only is she heartbreaking in the major moments, but it’s in her smaller touches that her role of Agnes has a remarkable amount of power. Even just reaching out a hand at the right moment or the utter confusion of who she is now that her son is gone make for some of the most powerful scenes in Hamnet. It’s a gorgeous performance that will burrow itself into your heart.”
Stay tuned to Collider for more coverage of the Academy Awards.
- Release Date
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November 26, 2025
- Runtime
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126 minutes
- Director
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Chloé Zhao


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