Golden Globe Winner Jessie Buckley Credits Nina Simone Song for Career Inspiration
From reality TV contestant to Golden Globe winner, Jessie Buckley's journey to Oscar contention includes powerful performances in prisons and a deep connection to one transformative song.
Most Academy Award winners don't trace their careers back to Saturday night reality shows. Jennifer Hudson stands as perhaps the only exception. But Jessie Buckley might join that exclusive club after her Golden Globe victory for Hamnet puts her in serious Oscar contention this March.
The Irish performer's path began nearly two decades ago on BBC's I'd Do Anything. These Graham Norton-hosted spectacles let audiences pick musical theater stars while casting directors watched from the sidelines. Buckley didn't claim the top prize, but reaching the finale opened doors to major stage productions alongside future stars like Hannah Waddingham from Ted Lasso.
From Stage to Screen Success
RADA training and Shakespeare performances opposite Jude Law preceded her television breakthrough in War and Peace. Her film debut came through Beast, a low-budget psychological thriller that earned critical praise. The 2018 country music drama Wild Rose, co-starring Julie Walters, allowed Buckley to showcase her musical abilities beyond acting.
Wild Rose brought Buckley to Glastonbury and other unexpected venues. She performed Nina Simone's version of Sandy Denny's 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes' in working men's prisons for lifers. "I did some gigs in a working male prison for lifers, and I sang this song… there's beautiful things in that song that kind of make you think about the things that you've left behind and how long you've got left," she told the New York Times.
Musical Collaborations and Career Growth
Buckley's film career expanded rapidly. She appeared in Judy, the Oscar-winning Judy Garland biopic, while pursuing her own musical projects. Her 2022 collaboration album For All Our Days That Tear the Heart with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler demonstrated her range as a recording artist.
Nina Simone's influence runs deep for Buckley. "When I hear her sing anything, I just think she contains multitudes …like the epicness of being a queen and the fragility of being a human, and every song that she sings, it always shatters me and makes me want to climb a mountain," she explained.
Future Projects and Oscar Buzz
Maggie Gyllenhaal cast Buckley in The Lost Daughter opposite Olivia Colman, then selected her again for The Bride! This horror romance updates the Bride of Frankenstein story and hits theaters March 6th. Gyllenhaal's directorial choices have proven astute.
Hamnet positions Buckley as a serious Oscar contender. The film stars her alongside Paul Mescal, dramatizing William Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway's struggle after losing their 11-year-old son. Chinese director Chloe Zhao, who won Best Film for Nomadland starring Frances McDormand, claimed Best Motion Picture Drama at the Golden Globes for the project.