Oscar nomination very surreal says NI-born Maggie O’Farrell
EPAThe writer of Hamnet described his Oscar nomination for the film’s screenplay as “extremely surreal”.
Maggie O’Farrell Received the Best Adapted Screenplay award with the film’s director, Chloe Zhao.
The book “as if [her] baby” and “the film is a true collaborative effort”.
The movie was taken eight Oscar nominations – County Kerry native Jessie Buckley, who plays Agnes, including best picture and best actress.
Adapted from O’Farrell’s award-winning novel of the same name, Hamnet is a fictional account of the lives of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes.
It explores how their son’s death may have affected Hamlet, one of the author’s most enduring masterpieces.
Oscar nomination ‘never crossed my mind’
O’Farrell, who is originally from Coleraine in Northern Ireland, said the Oscar nomination was “something I never thought would happen to me.”
“It’s very, very strange. It didn’t even cross my mind,” he told BBC News NI.
The author said there would be a “hot tug of war” between her three children and her husband if she got a plus point from the ceremony.
“I think I’ll let them figure it out,” he joked.
ReutersO’Farrell said her phone was “exploding” with messages, especially questions about the outfit she chose for the red carpet.
“Someone asked me if I would wear a Björk Swan dress and I was pretty excited, that would be ridiculous,” she added.
“I guess my teenage daughters will never forgive me.”
Buckley ‘charming’ in Hamnet
There were high hopes for Irish actor Paul Mescal, who played Buckley’s leading man in Hamnet, but he missed out on what the industry called “underestimation”.
O’Farrell he previously told the BBC that he always considered Mescal to be his Shakespeare.
However, this was the second Oscar nomination for Buckley, who was previously nominated for best supporting actress in the 2021 thriller The Lost Daughter.
36 year old received a Golden Globe earlier this monthIt paved the way for a promising awards season in Hollywood.
Speaking about Buckley’s nomination for the best actress gong award, O’Farrell said he was very happy.
“I’m so excited for him,” he said.
“He poured his heart, soul and bones into this role.”
Universal Images/Focus FeaturesO’Farrell added: “He’s truly stunning. You can’t take your eyes off him on screen.”
Buckley’s mother, Marina, was asked if it was surreal to hear her daughter’s name read on stage.
“Oh, it certainly is,” he told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.
“I’ve seen Hamnet a few times and every time I sit there I admire the work that has been done and I have to pinch myself and say that’s my little girl over there.”
He said he was “so proud” of his daughter because it was the culmination of a lifetime and years of work.
“It’s so great that this is now recognized. I’m really excited. What an achievement for all of them.”
Hamnet’s squad includes a strong Irish squad, which O’Farrell describes as “very strong”.
“It was very exciting to see, but they were the best people for the job.”
The nominees for Hollywood’s most coveted awards were announced Thursday by actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Vampire horror film Sinners broke the record for the most Oscar nominations for a single film with 16 nominations, followed by thriller One Battle After Another with 13 nominations.
