Jessie Buckley — Biography
Born on December 28th, 1989, in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, Jessie Buckley is a performer known for both her acting and singing talents. Her parents are Marina Cassidy and Tim Buckley, and she has four younger siblings. Her lineage traces back to Irish republican Madge Clifford through her great-grandmother, the late Dr. Norrie Buckley.
Buckley received her education at Ursuline Secondary School, an all-girls convent in Thurles, County Tipperary. It was here, where her mother worked as a vocal coach, that she honed her craft in school productions, often taking on male roles. She tackled characters like Tony in West Side Story and Freddie Trumper in Chess. Her musical proficiency extended to the piano, clarinet, and harp, achieving grade eight in each at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and she was part of the Tipperary Millennium Orchestra. Summer workshops with the Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) were instrumental in refining her skills and led to encouragement to pursue formal drama training in London. Despite initial setbacks, including rejections from two drama schools shortly before her audition for I'd Do Anything, Buckley was eventually accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), from which she graduated in January 2013.
Her professional journey began in 2008 on the BBC's talent show I'd Do Anything, where she secured second place. Following her RADA training, her early on-screen work included roles in BBC productions like War & Peace (2016) and Taboo (2017). Buckley made her film debut in the leading role of Beast (2017) and achieved a significant breakthrough with her performance in the musical film Wild Rose (2018). Her portrayal of an aspiring country singer in Wild Rose garnered her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Buckley's career continued to flourish with notable roles in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl (2019), I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), Fargo's fourth season (2020), The Lost Daughter (2021), Men (2022), and Women Talking (2022). Her performance in The Lost Daughter earned her accolades, including nominations for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. On stage, her portrayal of Sally Bowles in a 2021 West End revival of Cabaret earned her the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2022, she released the collaborative album For All Our Days That Tear the Heart with Bernard Butler, which was recognized with a shortlist for the Mercury Prize. Her notable awards and nominations include a Laurence Olivier Award, an Academy Award nomination, and three BAFTA Award nominations.
Buckley received her education at Ursuline Secondary School, an all-girls convent in Thurles, County Tipperary. It was here, where her mother worked as a vocal coach, that she honed her craft in school productions, often taking on male roles. She tackled characters like Tony in West Side Story and Freddie Trumper in Chess. Her musical proficiency extended to the piano, clarinet, and harp, achieving grade eight in each at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and she was part of the Tipperary Millennium Orchestra. Summer workshops with the Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) were instrumental in refining her skills and led to encouragement to pursue formal drama training in London. Despite initial setbacks, including rejections from two drama schools shortly before her audition for I'd Do Anything, Buckley was eventually accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), from which she graduated in January 2013.
Her professional journey began in 2008 on the BBC's talent show I'd Do Anything, where she secured second place. Following her RADA training, her early on-screen work included roles in BBC productions like War & Peace (2016) and Taboo (2017). Buckley made her film debut in the leading role of Beast (2017) and achieved a significant breakthrough with her performance in the musical film Wild Rose (2018). Her portrayal of an aspiring country singer in Wild Rose garnered her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Buckley's career continued to flourish with notable roles in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl (2019), I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), Fargo's fourth season (2020), The Lost Daughter (2021), Men (2022), and Women Talking (2022). Her performance in The Lost Daughter earned her accolades, including nominations for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. On stage, her portrayal of Sally Bowles in a 2021 West End revival of Cabaret earned her the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. In 2022, she released the collaborative album For All Our Days That Tear the Heart with Bernard Butler, which was recognized with a shortlist for the Mercury Prize. Her notable awards and nominations include a Laurence Olivier Award, an Academy Award nomination, and three BAFTA Award nominations.
