Jessie Buckley reveals why her husband’s identity remains anonymous and why he will never be able to walk a red carpet with her

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For Jessie Buckley, the glaring media spotlight has never been stronger. 

The acclaimed Irish actress is starring in Hamnet, a deeply emotional film by director Chloé Zhao. The movie tells the story of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes as they grieve the loss of their son, and how that tragedy impacted the creation of Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet.

Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel, this historical drama premiered at the Telluride Film Festival last August to rave reviews. It’s now being released in theaters across the United States and will open in Great Britain on January 9th.

The actress will continue promoting her new project with Paul Mescal, who portrays Shakespeare, but her husband won’t be joining her on the red carpet – and there’s a clear reason why.

Although people naturally pay attention to her work, Buckley keeps her personal life with her husband, Freddie, at their home in Norfolk very private.

The 36-year-old actress married Freddie, who works in mental health, in 2023. She wants to keep his profession private to protect his work and patients.

In a recent interview with British Vogue, Buckley shared that she and her husband don’t plan on appearing together on the red carpet anytime soon.

Rather than that, she’ll be going to movie premieres and continuing to promote the film with her co-star and friend, Paul Mescal. They became close while acting as a married couple in Hamnet.

To help her lead actors build a close connection, both emotionally and physically, before filming began, Zhao had them participate in a tantric workshop and also go dancing together to Abba at a club in New York City.

Okay, so during this workshop, it was… intense. They made us, like, become a lingam – which, honestly, is this sacred, powerful symbol of, well, male energy – and a yoni, which represents the female form. It wasn’t just about them, we had to physically embody these concepts, and it was… a lot. I’m still trying to process it, honestly, but it was meant to unlock something deep within us, a connection to creation itself. It was… breathtaking, really. I can’t stop thinking about it!

Buckley described the first few minutes as incredibly awkward, but said things quickly relaxed. ‘Once you’ve been that vulnerable with someone, you just get over it and move forward,’ she told Vogue.

The workshop was a success, and reviewers praised the actors’ strong connection on screen. The actors themselves have also frequently expressed their mutual respect and liking for each other off-screen.

Buckley says playing the character of Agnes made her realize she wanted to become a mother. She even borrowed a fake pregnancy belly from the show’s props department and wore it while gardening, just to experience what it felt like.

The actress shared that the emotional story of Hamnet, focusing on the grief of Agnes and William after losing a child, resonated with her on a personal level and helped her connect with her own feelings.

Of motherhood just months in, she mused: ‘It’s a bit like being a beetle on your back.

‘A friend said to me, “Don’t forget that you’re also a new thing when you become a mother.”‘

Everyone focuses on the new baby, but remember that you’re also adjusting to a lot of changes – your place in the world feels different, your partnership is evolving, and even your work life is shifting.

”I don’t know what the next story is that I need to tell because it’s seismic what’s happened.’

You can find the complete feature in the February issue of British Vogue, which will be available digitally and in stores starting Tuesday, January 20th.

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2026-01-07 17:20