Hamnet star Jessie Buckley can’t believe that her onscreen husband, Paul Mescal, was snubbed of an Academy Awards nomination.
“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,” Buckley told The Hollywood Reporter following her nomination. “So what is recognized belongs to him as much as him being recognized in his own category would.”
Mescal, 29, was among the snubbed supporting actor nominees for his role as William Shakespeare in Hamnet, which received eight nominations in total. Ariana Grande was also notably absent from the supporting actress list.
“I think he’s extraordinary in this film. I know I’ve met a partner for life in doing this with him. I don’t know what to say apart from he is, to me, my absolute,” Buckley continued. “His artistry is something that will continue to grow and be a theme in so many different ways. I know what we created together is something that’s so special to us, and I hold that so dearly in my heart, and there’s no part of Agnes that exists without Paul.”
Buckley, 36, who plays William’s wife, Agnes, has been stuffing her trophy cabinet with statues all awards season. Earlier this month, she took home a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice Award. She is the likely favorite to win the Oscar, unless she is upset by fellow awards darling Rose Byrne for her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.
Leonardo DiCaprio, 51, received his sixth acting nomination for his leading role in One Battle After Another, which claimed 13 total nominations. His onscreen daughter, played by Chase Infiniti, 25, was left out in the cold.
“Chase was the heart and soul of this movie, and she’s going to have an incredible career ahead of her,” DiCaprio told Deadline. “She really carried this film, especially with it being her first role in a feature film. I couldn’t have been more proud of her and the integrity and the intensity and the leadership that she brought to that character.”
“As for the others, what can I say?” DiCaprio continued. “I got to work with an all-star cast. I was incredibly fortunate to work with so many people that I’ve looked up to for years in this industry, and it was an incredible experience.”
While the Oscar-winning actor is expected to lose his category to Marty Supreme’s Timothée Chalamet for this year’s golden statue, three more of his co-stars will also compete for Oscars in the supporting categories.
Penn and Del Toro are in a stacked Best Supporting Actor field, while Teyana Taylor faces an equally uphill battle in the supporting actress category. Her win at the Golden Globes pits her against Weapons' Amy Madigan, who has traded awards with Taylor all season. But both could be upset by one of the two nominated actresses from Sentimental Value.
Winners will be announced on March 15. Comedian Conan O’Brien will host the awards show for the second consecutive year.
