Born of the Land - Jessie Buckley
Jessie Buckley is a woman of many talents. Most famous for her work as an on-screen actress, she is also known for her theatre drama performances and musical talents. Her 2022 alternative folk album, ‘For All Our Days That Tear The Heart’, made in collaboration with renowned British musician Bernard Butler, was even nominated for the Mercury Prize.
Born and raised in Killarney, County Kerry in the 1980s, Buckley was a natural performer, joining both the Killarney Musical Society and the Children’s Chorus as a child. It was with the Children’s Chorus that she had her first taste of being onstage, in their production of Tim Rice’s musical, ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’.
During her time at Ursuline Secondary School, an all-girls convent school in County Tipperary, Jessie Buckley auditioned for the annual shows and was cast as the male-lead in both ‘Chess’ and ‘West Side Story’. She also played the piano, clarinet and harp at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Before her acceptance into the London drama school, Jessie Buckley gained recognition during her time as a contestant on ‘I’d Do Anything’, a 2008 talent show-themed TV series where contestants competed to play the lead roles of Nancy and Oliver Twist in a revival of the musical ‘Oliver!’. Though she didn’t get the lead role, Buckley was the runner-up, and gained the support of Andrew Lloyd Webber (one of the main panelists for the series), who later invited her to perform at his birthday celebration, and at a show in Dublin’s National Concert Hall.
Despite her struggles with depression, insecurities, and the rejections she received from two drama schools, Buckley persevered, going on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and successfully graduating in 2013. Following her studies at RADA, Buckley continued to foster her singing and acting careers, landing her first feature-film role as the star of ‘Beast’ (2017), a psychological thriller directed by Michael Pearce. Her performance earned her the Most Promising Newcomer Award at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).
Since then, Jessie Buckley has acted in a number of films, some notable examples being ‘Wild Rose’ (2018), ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ (2020), ‘The Lost Daughter’ (2021), ‘Women Talking’ (2022), and ‘Wicked Little Letters’ (2023). Her talent has led to much critical acclaim, most notably an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress with ‘The Lost Daughter’ (2021), and three different British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) nominations. Jessie Buckley’s achievements earn her a spot on the legendary list of Irish creatives that have attained international success, and her upcoming projects are sure to affirm this even more. One such project is Chloe Zhao’s ‘Hamnet’, a film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s book of the same name, which is set to be released by the end of the year. Performing alongside fellow Irish actor Paul Mescal, ‘Hamnet’ promises to be an exciting demonstration of talents from two of the nation’s contemporary stars.
Wriiten By: Leona VC
