Jessie Buckley’s carefree childhood photos reveal the Oscar tipped star’s life before she was famous

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Everyone in Hollywood is buzzing about this actress after her incredibly moving portrayal of Shakespeare’s wife in the film Hamnet.

It wasn’t surprising to see Jessie Buckley on the cover of Vogue this month, looking stunning in a Prada satin dress and Tiffany diamonds.

An old, almost forgotten Facebook page offers a surprising look at the actress who is expected to win an Oscar.

Before she became a famous actress known for red carpet appearances and magazine covers, she was like many other people her age, casually sharing photos and fun moments with friends online.

Recently resurfaced photos, taken between 2012 and 2020, reveal a more everyday side of the woman, showing her spending time with family, having fun with friends, and sharing loving messages with her parents.

The photos include Jessie showing off her natural look to support breast cancer awareness, and a fun picture of her wearing a bright orange wig, playfully comparing herself to the character Noddy.

It is a world that could not be further removed from the glittering fame now surrounding her.

At 36, actress Buckley is experiencing the most successful period of her career thanks to her widely praised performance as Agnes, the wife mourning William Shakespeare.

Experts predict she’s a strong contender to win at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars. She recently made a splash at the Critics Choice Awards, where she won Best Actress.

Even though Jessie has become increasingly well-known and wealthy, she’s always felt uneasy with the lifestyle that comes with being a celebrity.

She highly values her privacy and doesn’t use social media like Instagram or Twitter, preferring to keep her personal life private.

She doesn’t really have a presence online – her Facebook page is old and unused. Now, she lives a peaceful life in the countryside of Norfolk with her husband, who works in mental health, and their four-month-old baby.

Old photos from Jessie’s social media account, called Messy Jessie, show a person who seemed happier and more relaxed when not in the public eye.

Fuzzy photos reveal Jessie embracing friends while out with them, or walking across the rugged hills of her hometown, Killarney – appearing natural and unpolished, without any of the typical glamour associated with celebrities.

Photos from a 2014 visit to Tanzania depict the actress volunteering at a school, and she shared a caption revealing she donated a book to the children.

‘These kids are absolutely amazing…that girl in the middle is gonna be a prime minister.’

Jessie grew up in County Kerry as the oldest of five kids. She’s described her family life as lively and full of both affection and occasional chaos.

Her father, Tim, was a poet who loved to cook and ran a guesthouse. Her mother, Marina Cassidy, was a classical singer and harpist, and she brought music into their home.

Jessie, her brother Killian, and her sisters Eva, Julia, and Lily often performed Irish dances and shows for the American guests at their family’s guesthouse.

She remembered a time when they were hired to perform as entertainment. She described it as unpredictable and exciting, comparing it to the whimsical and surprising atmosphere of Willy Wonka’s factory – anything could go wrong, or wonderfully right!

Her Facebook photos show strong family connections, with casual pictures of countryside walks with her brother and loving moments shared with her sisters.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, while living in east London, Jessie posted a touching tribute to her father online, sharing a childhood photo of them together.

‘I love you in a million ways that words sometimes feel less,’ she wrote.

You’re the most wonderful dad, and you have such a big heart! You even rescue bees from the lake, carrying them to safety. It’s amazing!

You always know how to make me laugh, even when I’m feeling down, and you feel my sadness when I’m happy. Your heart is so deep and full of emotion, and I just want to hold you and tell you how much I care.

In a previous birthday message to Tim, she wrote: ‘I’ll always cherish you, love you, and let you inspire me throughout my life.’

At 17, Jessie relocated to London after successfully auditioning for the BBC show ‘I’d Do Anything,’ hosted by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Although she came in second place, she later said the experience was very hurtful, remembering cruel comments about her body and being pressured to act more traditionally feminine.

In a recent interview with Vogue, she opened up about struggling with depression and feeling unwell. She described a difficult time marked by body shaming and pressure to conform to traditional feminine ideals, all while she was still growing into her body as a teenager at 17.

I hope no young woman ever experiences something as awful as what happened on that show. I didn’t fully understand how disturbing it was then, I just felt deeply uncomfortable and upset.

Jessie’s early Facebook photos, starting when she was 22, reveal a happy and confident young woman. They show her having fun with family in London, enjoying time with friends, and generally appearing relaxed and at ease.

In one wild-haired photo, she joked: ‘Never ever leave me near a hair brush!!!!’

The actress, known for her roles in films like War and Peace and Wild Rose, and an Oscar nomination for The Lost Daughter, shared that studio heads initially didn’t want her to star in Hamnet. She explained, ‘To be honest, no one was keen on me being in that movie.’

Honestly, it’s the studio system that’s new to me. I’ve never been in a Marvel movie, I don’t use Instagram, and I’m likely not considered a guaranteed box office success.

Jessie and her partner of many years, 47-year-old Freddie Sorensen, got married in 2023. The ceremony was small and private, held at their historic home in Norfolk.

Their wedding was attended by just 40 guests who were served Guinness and cheese toasties.

Jessie shared with Vogue that her husband isn’t planning on joining her at any public events like red carpets anytime soon, as she’s been trying to protect him from the pressures of celebrity life.

She joked instead that he would be ‘having a ball eating canapés’ at promotional events for Hamnet.

This week, The Mail reported that Mr. Sorensen has an unexpected background in television. He used to be a producer for popular shows like The X Factor and Gladiators, but he later left the entertainment industry to become a mental health professional.

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2026-01-10 13:10