The entire world is a stage for Jessie Buckley, and as she stood on it to accept her Best Actress prize at the Critics Choice Awards 2026 for her role in "Hamnet," the actress couldn't help but gush about her costar, Paul Mescal.
"I bloody love you, man," Jessie quipped during the Jan. 4 ceremony at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. "I know loads of other women do too, but tough s--t." She continued, "I could drink you like water, working with you every single day. You are a giant of the heart. Thank you so much for making me a little bit more human."
Paul's response? The "Normal People" alum blew her a kiss before humbly putting his head in his hands. But this wasn't the first time Jessie—who tied the knot in 2023 with a mental health worker she's only publicly identified as Freddie—sang her praises for the 29-year-old.
"I feel like I've met somebody so significant and giant in my life in working with Paul on this," she told Refinery29 in December. "He has such a gigantic human heart, and he's such a team player. He holds the biggest parts of you. He can drink a case of you, and not many people can, especially co-leads."
Calling Paul a true "movie star," Jessie added, "Not many people can just, with absolute care and courage, help you to tell the story."
And the love goes both ways for the costars, who played lovers in their historical drama. In fact, Paul—now dating Gracie Abrams—said Jessie's performance as Agnes Shakespeare to his William Shakespeare is "going to be studied in drama schools" for years to come.
"Actors around the world, if you want to see what great acting is, not only just watch 'Hamnet'," he told the outlet. "Watch anything that Jessie has ever been in, and you'd be well fed."
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