Hamnet stars on historical figures and awards hype

Paul Mescal would “love” to one day play Micheal Collins, the Irish rebel leader.

Speaking at the Irish premier of Hamnet, the star of the film said he has “always been so interested in that period of Irish history” but conceded “Liam Neeson did a great job with that”.

His latest film sees him playing one of England’s most iconic historical figures, William Shakespeare.

Hamnet tells the story of Shakespeare’s marriage to his wife, who is named Agnes in the film, and the tumult that follows the death of the couple’s young son.

Agnes is played by Irish actress and singer Jessie Buckley, who along with Paul Mescal has received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance.

There has been significant Oscar buzz around her since Hamnet started screening at festivals – something she brushed off, saying: “Whatever comes, we’ll meet that in the moment.”

She did however describe the project as one of the most “personal, intimate, significant jobs I’ve done”.

She described the cast and crew as like “family”, saying “we were like peas in a pod” and “it wasn’t just camaraderie, it was a family, we lived like a family, the minute we got that set none of us wanted to leave”.

Coleraine-born Maggie O’Farrell wrote the screenplay with director Chloe Zhao and joked with her collaborator about the Irish-heavy contingent in the cast, asking: “Did you actually do any auditions, or did you just go to Ireland on holiday?”

The rave reviews for the film echo the critical reception the book received on publication, something which has astounded the novelist.

“Somebody asked me if it was a dream come true, and I said well no, because it didn’t even occur to me it was possible”.

She added she was too “superstitious” to discuss award speculation, saying she does not want to “jinx anything”.

In 2021 Ms Zhao became the third woman, and first woman of colour, to win an Oscar for Nomadland.

She says she has an interest in “exploring some old, old” Irish stories in future projects, adding she has previously celebrated Celtic holidays like Samhain and Imbolc.

Hamnet will be in Irish and British cinemas on 9 January.