Jessie Buckley began her career in 2008 as a contestant on the BBC TV talent show I'd Do Anything, in which she placed second. In the same year, she appeared in the West End revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. She then studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, from which she graduated in 2013. Her early onscreen appearances include portrayals in BBC television series, such as Marya Bolkonskaya in the 2016 adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, Lorna Bow in Taboo (2017) and Marian Halcombe in The Woman in White (2018).
Buckley made her film debut playing the lead role of Moll Huntford in Beast (2017). Her other roles include Rose-Lynn Harlan in Wild Rose (2018), for which she received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Lyudmilla Ignatenko in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl (2019), the Young Woman in I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), Oraetta Mayflower in season four of Fargo (2020) and young Leda in The Lost Daughter (2021). Her performance in The Lost Daughter gained her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2019, she was recognised by Forbes in its annual 30 Under 30 list. In 2020, she was listed at No. 38 on The Irish Times' list of Ireland's greatest film actors. Buckley starred as Sally Bowles in a West End revival of Cabaret in 2021, for which she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
She received further acclaim for her supporting role in Sarah Polley's Oscar-winning drama Women Talking and will next star in the title role of Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride, co-starring Christian Bale and Penelope Cruz.
"This is so lovely. Thanks IFTA and it's not mine, it's all of ours. You're all amazing women. I'm so proud to be able to stand beside you (fellow nominees) now, and throughout all of our lives. Long live the brilliant women!"
Jessie Buckley
(on receiving her IFTA Win)