Jessie Buckley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jessie Buckley
Buckley in 2019
Born	December 1989 (age 35) Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland
Education	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (BA)
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	2008–present
Spouse(s)	Freddie ​ (m. 2023)​
Awards	Full list

Jessie Buckley (born in December 1989) is a talented Irish actress and singer. She has won many awards, including a Laurence Olivier Award, and has been nominated for an Academy Award and three BAFTA Awards.

Jessie started her career in 2008 on the BBC TV talent show I'd Do Anything, where she came in second place. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), she appeared in BBC TV shows like War & Peace (2016) and Taboo (2017).

Her first big movie role was in Beast (2017). She became very well known after starring in the musical film Wild Rose (2018). In this movie, she played a singer who dreamed of becoming a country music star, and her performance earned her a nomination for a BAFTA Award.

Jessie Buckley has also starred in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl (2019), and films like I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), The Lost Daughter (2021), and Women Talking (2022). For The Lost Daughter, she was nominated for a BAFTA Award and an Academy Award. In 2021, she played Sally Bowles in the musical Cabaret in London's West End, winning a Laurence Olivier Award for her amazing performance.

In 2022, Jessie released a music album called For All Our Days That Tear the Heart with musician Bernard Butler. This album was even nominated for the 2022 Mercury Prize, which is a big music award.

Early life and education

Jessie Buckley was born in December 1989 in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. Her parents are Marina Cassidy and Tim Buckley. She has one younger brother and three younger sisters.

She went to Ursuline Secondary School, an all-girls school in Thurles, County Tipperary. Her mother worked there as a singing teacher, and Jessie often performed in school plays. She even played male lead roles, like Tony in West Side Story and Freddie Trumper in Chess.

Jessie also learned to play the piano, clarinet, and harp, reaching a high level in all of them at the Royal Irish Academy of Music. She was part of the Tipperary Millennium Orchestra. She also attended summer workshops to improve her singing and acting. These workshops helped her realize she was a talented actress and encouraged her to apply to drama schools in London. Interestingly, she was turned down by two drama schools right before she auditioned for I'd Do Anything.

Jessie later attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), a famous drama school, and graduated in January 2013.

Career

Starting out: TV shows and theatre (2008–2015)

Jessie Buckley began her career on the TV talent show I'd Do Anything in 2008. This show was looking for a new actress to play the role of Nancy in the musical Oliver! in London's West End. Jessie made it to the final on May 31, 2008, finishing in second place.

After the show, Jessie performed at several concerts and events. She was offered the chance to be an understudy for the role of Nancy in Oliver!, but she chose to take on another exciting role instead.

In October 2008, Jessie made her West End debut in the musical A Little Night Music. She played the role of Anne Egerman. She performed alongside famous actors like Maureen Lipman. The show was very successful and later moved to a bigger theatre in London.

In January 2013, Jessie graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She then performed in several plays at Shakespeare's Globe theatre, including playing Miranda in The Tempest. She also acted alongside Jude Law in the play Henry V in London. In 2015, she played Perdita in The Winter's Tale, a play that was shown live in cinemas around the world.

Becoming a film and TV star (2016–present)

After a small role in the TV show Endeavour, Jessie Buckley played Marya Bolkonskaya in the BBC's new version of War and Peace (2016). People praised her acting, saying she played the character "beautifully." She then starred in the drama series Taboo (2017) with Tom Hardy. She also appeared in other BBC dramas like The Last Post (2017) and The Woman in White (2018).

Jessie's first movie role was as Moll Huntford in the thriller Beast (2017). She received great reviews for her performance. Then, she starred in the country music drama Wild Rose (2017). This role was a big step for her, and she even got to sing songs from the movie at the famous Glastonbury Festival. The movie's soundtrack became number one on the UK Country Albums Chart. Her acting in Wild Rose earned her a nomination for Best Actress at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards.

Jessie Buckley in January 2020

In 2019, Jessie played Lyudmilla Ignatenko in the miniseries Chernobyl. This show was about the real-life Chernobyl disaster of 1986. The series was highly praised and received many awards. Jessie also appeared in the movie Judy, which was about the life of American actress Judy Garland.

In 2020, Jessie had four movies released: Dolittle, The Courier, Misbehaviour, and the psychological thriller I'm Thinking of Ending Things. Her acting in I'm Thinking of Ending Things was highly praised by critics. In the same year, Jessie had a main role in the fourth season of the TV show Fargo, where she played a nurse named Oraetta Mayflower.

In 2021, Jessie starred as a younger version of the character Leda Caruso in The Lost Daughter. Olivia Colman played the older version of the character. The movie was loved by critics, and Jessie's performance was called a "revelation." She won an award for her supporting role and was nominated for a BAFTA Award and her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Jessie was asked by actor Eddie Redmayne to star with him in a new version of the musical Cabaret. The show opened in London in November 2021 and received amazing reviews. Jessie won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Sally Bowles. Critics said she played the character with "astonishing fierceness" and was a "powerhouse of emotion."

On April 15, 2022, Jessie Buckley and former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler released their first song together. Their album, For All Our Days That Tear the Heart, came out on June 17, 2022. It reached number 23 on the UK Albums Chart and was nominated for the 2022 Mercury Prize, a major music award in the UK.

In 2022, Jessie starred in the film Men, playing a widowed woman on holiday. The film was shown at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. She also joined Frances McDormand and Rooney Mara in the movie Women Talking, which was released at the end of 2022. In December 2022, she lent her voice to the animated movie Scrooge: A Christmas Carol on Netflix.

Jessie reunited with Olivia Colman for the comedy film Wicked Little Letters, which was filmed in 2022. That same year, it was announced that Jessie would be the lead in the film Fingernails. Both films premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. In May 2023, it was announced that Jessie would star alongside Paul Mescal in the film Hamnet.

Personal life

Jessie Buckley lives in Norfolk, England. She married her husband, Freddie, who works in mental health, in mid-2023.

Jessie is also an ambassador for The Matt Talbot Community Trust. This organization helps people who are recovering and need support to get better.

Acting credits

Film

Key

Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Television

Video games

Theatre

Discography

Collaborative albums

• For All Our Days That Tear the Heart (with Bernard Butler) (2022)

Soundtrack albums

• Wild Rose (2019)

Recognition and awards

In 2019, Forbes magazine included Jessie in its annual Forbes 30 Under 30 list, which highlights young successful people. In 2020, The Irish Times listed her as one of Ireland's greatest film actors of all time.

Images for kids

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  Jessie Buckley in 2019

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  Jessie Buckley in January 2020

See also

In Spanish: Jessie Buckley para niños