Jessie Buckley on Paul Mescal's Oscar Snub: 'There Is No Agnes Without You'

Following her Best Actress Oscar nomination for Hamnet, Jessie Buckley's celebration was tempered by the surprising snub of her co-star, Paul Mescal. She immediately turned the focus to his essential contribution, issuing a powerful defense of her screen partner.

On a day that should have been purely celebratory, Jessie Buckley used her moment in the spotlight to champion her co-star.

After securing a coveted Best Actress Oscar nomination for her searing performance in Hamnet, she quickly addressed the snub of her screen partner, Paul Mescal.

The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards on January 22 brought a strong showing for Chloé Zhao’s "Hamnet," a fictionalized telling of William Shakespeare's marriage.

The film received eight nominations in total, including Best Picture and a lead actress nod for Buckley’s portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare.

Yet, in a surprising omission, Mescal, who plays her husband, William, was left out of the Best Supporting Actor category, despite receiving nominations from other major awards bodies.

The official nominees in the category are Benicio Del Toro, Jacob Elordi, Delroy Lindo, Sean Penn, and Stellan Skarsgård.

When asked for her reaction to Mescal's omission in a phone interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Buckley, though thrilled about her own nomination, turned the focus entirely to her partner in the film.

"Yeah, look, I think he’s extraordinary in this film," she said, adding, "There’s no part of what I created or what we created in this story which exists without Paul and what he poured into this story. So what is recognized belongs to him as much as him being recognized in his own category would."

In a separate statement she shared regarding her nomination, she reinforced this sentiment with a direct and powerful message: "Paul, there is no Agnes without you."

This is not the first time Buckley has publicly praised Mescal, with whom she also starred in "The Lost Daughter." This fierce loyalty is characteristic of their well-documented friendship.

Buckley previously made headlines with a memorable comment at the Critics' Choice Awards, telling Mescal, "I could drink you like water."

She later clarified the viral remark, explaining that she meant he is "essential" to discovering what is possible as an actor because "he brings you to the core of your humanity."

The admiration is mutual; Mescal has stated that drama students will be studying Buckley's "giant" performance in "Hamnet ""forever," calling it "one of the greatest performances we're gonna be seeing for years."

As she celebrated her recent Oscar achievement, Buckley described her connection with Paul Mescal as finding her "absolute" and a "partner for life," making it clear that, in her eyes, the success of "Hamnet" is a shared victory.

As the industry processes this year's nominations, Buckley's words serve as a powerful testament to artistic solidarity.

While she will compete for Best Actress on March 15, her reaction ensures that the profound contribution of her co-star is recognized as the heartbeat of their acclaimed film.