18 Years Later, Jessie Buckley’s Path to ‘Hamnet’ Included a Reality TV Chapter Almost No One Remembers

18 Years Later, Jessie Buckley’s Path to ‘Hamnet’ Included a Reality TV Chapter Almost No One Remembers Jessie Buckley at the Tragedy of Hamlet in HamnetImage via Focus Features By  Michael Block Published  1 hour ago Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!  On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.  In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.  Sign in to your Collider account Add Us On Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Each award season, the world gets to latch onto the rise of a newfound star as they pick up trophy after trophy for their extraordinary work. This year, that honor was bestowed upon Jessie Buckley. It’s safe to say that with her massive success in Hamnet, Buckley is an international movie superstar. Winning awards for her performance in Hamnet, she’s become even more recognizable than ever. With newfound notoriety comes the opportunity to dig into her career past and gain insight into the journey that brought her to this moment.

Before she appeared on-screen, Buckley was a West End Wendy, a term for a musical theater actress in London. And during that time, as she was making a name for herself, she appeared on the BBC competition reality series I'd Do Anything. The competition pitted a series of young women against one another in the ultimate casting process, in hopes of winning the role of Nancy in the West End revival of Oliver! While it may have seemed like a blip on the resume, Buckley has recently revealed that the experience was not only informative but also illuminating to the bigger picture of being known as a reality star before being recognized as a serious actress.

Reality TV Was a Necessary Struggle For Jessie Buckley

Jessie Buckley's promo image for 'I'd Do Anything.'Image via BBC

During the early aughts, being a reality star was a double-edged sword. On one hand, it was an opportunity to pluck everyday individuals from relative obscurity and give them their 15 minutes of fame. But then there was a stigma attached to reality stars, a stain on their careers if they attempted to pursue something "serious." It was also during that time that anything and everything was thrown at the wall to see if it would stick as a reality TV concept. With talent competitions being the rage, the BBC and Andrew Lloyd Webber found success in creating a theater-based talent series to help find a "new" star to lead well-known revivals. While the viewing audience believed them to be random no-names, in actuality, many of the competitors had been hoofing around audition rooms or appearing in the chorus for ages.

At 17, Buckley put herself out there, revealing to Vogue UK that, during that process, she was “not fully well” and depressed. The series, which was the third in line following talent searches for The Sound of Music and Joseph ​​​​​and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, was not just performance-based. The contestants had to go through "boot camp," earn praise from a highly critical judging panel, and win the nation's adoration. That meant public scrutiny that Buckley was unprepared for. Buckley experienced her treatment on the show as "a lot of body-shaming and bringing me to femininity school." She revealed, "I was growing into my body. I was 17. I was in a moment of discovery. As women, it's such unfair objectification."

She noted that she wasn’t sure whether it was innocence or ignorance, but she wouldn’t have been brave enough to do it now. The series' runner-up noted, "Back then, I was just trying to move into a space of myself." Though defeated, the actress forged her own path in theater, turning down the opportunity to understudy the winner, Jodie Prenger. In hindsight, it was the right move.

Related The Best Movie Performances of 2025

With ‘One Battle After Another,’ ‘Sentimental Value,’ ‘Sinners,’ and multiple Josh O’Connor roles, 2025 was a great year for movie performances.

Posts 1 By  Collider Staff

Jessie Buckley's Ascension in Hollywood Is Familiar

Buckley's experience on reality TV is significant because not everyone who goes on a competition show has the platform she has now. It serves to warn others about what it’s really like. At that time, reality TV was set up as an opportunity for dreams to come true, but it came with stakes. "I was just lost. When you're told, culturally, in different ways, that you have to kind of mold yourself into a shape that doesn't naturally fit you, in some ways you incubate that messaging, and then it becomes self-destructive,'' she revealed. Talent competition reality shows are the ultimate casting call. You're auditioning for more than just a room of creatives. Rather than let it deter her, Buckley has used that career moment to propel her forward and, as she put it, "unravel myself from the sort of miseducation."

Subscribe to our newsletter for star-making stories

Dive deeper by subscribing to our newsletter for thoughtful profiles, industry perspective and cultural context that illuminate how performers move from reality TV competitions to award-caliber careers. Subscribe to explore more nuanced entertainment analysis. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The significance of Buckley’s reality TV past is that she’s not alone in the pipeline of reality star to mega award winner. The most obvious example was Jennifer Hudson from American Idol to EGOT, but Emma Stone first appeared on the short-lived VH1 show, The Search for the Next Partridge Family. Buckley’s rise from reality TV to Hollywood stardom is helping to destigmatize the reality TV “stink.” Talented individuals, no matter where they came up, are being revered for their talent. Perhaps it's because the pool is getting bigger, but getting a head start via reality television has become a gift. That said, Buckley's experience serves as a warning. You must be mentally and emotionally prepared for the massive life change.

Hamnet is currently out in theaters.

9 10

Hamnet

Like Follow Followed PG-13 Drama Romance Release Date November 26, 2025 Runtime 126 minutes Director Chloé Zhao Writers Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell Producers Liza Marshall, Pippa Harris, Sam Mendes, Steven Spielberg, Nicolas Gonda, Caroline Reynolds, Maggie O’Farrell

Cast

See All

• Jessie Buckley Agnes
• Paul Mescal Will

Powered by Expand Collapse

• TV Features
• Jessie Buckley
• BBC

Follow Followed Like Share Facebook X WhatsApp Threads Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Flipboard Copy link Email Close

What To Watch

July 20, 2025 The 72 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now Trending Now One of the Hottest, Goriest HBO Shows of the Last 30 Years Is Required Viewing for Fantasy Fans The 11 Most Thrilling Family Adventure Movies, Ranked The 20 Greatest Disney Animated Movies of All Time, Ranked