Jessie Buckley credits London theatre lover for saving her acting career

Oscar nominations, Jessie Buckley was a young performer trying to make ends meet in London, unsure if she could afford to continue her training.

Now 36 and an Academy Award nominee, Buckley is reflecting on the unexpected generosity that helped shape her path.

Speaking on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, the Hamnet star revealed that a man named Tony, whom she met while performing at a London nightclub, stepped in to fund her final three years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).

“I wanted to go back and train,” Buckley said, recalling a period when she had taken a break from the prestigious drama school. “And he said, ‘I want to help you.’ And he very kindly paid for my training at RADA and staying in London, which, if he didn’t, I probably wouldn’t have been able to stay.”

Buckley, who comes from a family of five in Ireland, described the financial strain of building a life in London. 

During her time away from RADA, she worked in markets, sang jazz and performed at the Ivy Club nightclub. Though grateful for the experience, she felt unfinished.

“It had been an itch that hadn’t been fully scratched,” she explained of her initial studies. She longed to immerse herself in scripts, cinema, and the camaraderie of fellow students without the constant anxiety of financial instability.

Tony, a theatre lover who had seen her perform, offered support that changed the course of her career.

Buckley graduated from RADA in 2013 and steadily built a reputation across stage and screen. She made her film debut in Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart and earned her first Oscar nomination in 2022 for The Lost Daughter.

This winter, her performance in Hamnet has placed her firmly in the awards spotlight. 

She has already collected major honors, including wins at the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTA Awards, and is nominated again at this year’s Academy Awards.