IRISH ACTORS JESSIE Buckley and Paul Mescal have each been nominated for Actor Awards for their performances in historical drama Hamnet. 

The nominations for the awards, which were formerly known as the Screen Actors Guild Awards or SAG Awards, were announced at a ceremony broadcast on Netflix’s YouTube channel this evening. 

Buckley was nominated for Best Female Actor in a Leading Role, while Mescal scooped a nomination for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role. The film was also nominated for Cast Ensemble in a Motion Picture.

Hamnet explores the relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes Hathaway – historically known as Anne – in the aftermath of their 11-year-old son’s death.

The film, which was directed by Chloe Zhao, is adapted from the 2020 novel of the same name by Irish author Maggie O’Farrell. 

Jessie Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Buckley’s performance has generated significant Oscar buzz, with the Killarney native already taking home the Best Actress gong at Critics Choice Awards earlier this week. The awards are seen as an early indicator to who might win an Academy Award. 

Her competition for an Actor Award are Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another and Emma Stone for Bugonia. 

Meanwhile, Mescal is up against Miles Caton for Sinners, Benicio Del Toro for One Battle After Another, Sean Penn for One Battle After Another and Jacob Elordi for Frankenstein.

A full list of the film and television nominees can be found here. 

The Actor Awards nominations are chosen by other actors who are members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union. There are currently over 118,000 eligible voters.

The 32nd Actor Awards will stream live on Netflix on 1 March.