Since her on-screen debut in the BBC talent series, I’d Do Anything in 2008, Jessie Buckley has been at the forefront of some of the biggest films and TV series. From Women Talking to Fingernails, read on to discover all of Jessie Buckley’s best performances and where you can watch them.
Early into her career, the Irish actress became known for her role in television series such as War & Peace, as well as independent films such as Taboo, Beast and Wild Rose. After the modest success in these roles, Buckley joined the cast of the 2019 historical drama, Chernobyl, alongside Jared Harris, Paul Ritter and Stellan Skarsgård.
The five-part series details the horrific 1986 disaster at Chernobyl and the years that followed, which received wide-spread critical acclaim for the way the series handled the difficult subject matter. Overall, the show received nineteen Primetime Emmy nominations and took home three awards, while it also won the Golden Globe for Best Miniseries or Television Film.
Shortly after, Buckley joined the fourth season of the award-winning crime drama, Fargo, and landed the lead role in Netflix’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things. The psychological thriller received positive reviews, especially for Buckley’s performance alongside her co-stars Jesse Plemons, Toni Collette and David Thewlis.
Over the years, Buckley has appeared in various different genres; as part of the ensemble in the Robert Downey Jr-led fantasy adventure, Dolittle, one of the lead roles in the biopic Judy and in the British comedy-drama, Misbehaviour.
More recently, Buckley appeared in the adaptation of Miriam Toew’s novel of the same name, Women Talking. Despite its humble box office success of $9 million, the film received rave reviews after its debut at the Telluride Film Festival and won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
She also starred in the science-fiction romantic drama, Fingernails, alongside Riz Ahmed and Jeremy Allen White, which explored whether love can ever be quantified for people to be a 100% match with each other.
Arguably though, it is Buckley’s performance in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, that has brought the actress the most acclaim. The 2021 psychological drama follows Leda (Olivia Coleman) on her seaside vacation who becomes fixated on a mother and daughter duo who are staying nearby, as it triggers a deep period of reflection for her. For her supporting role in the film, Buckley was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
The actress has collaborated with her former co-star Coleman once again for the outrageously funny, black comedy, Wicked Little Letters, which debuted in cinemas in February. Both stars take on the leading roles as neighbors, where Edith (Coleman) is convinced that Rose (Buckley) is writing nasty letters to her, so detectives have to step in to solve this small-town mystery.
With an impressive filmography to digest, here are the best Jessie Buckley films and TV series ranked and where to stream them.