Jessie Buckley wins the best actress Oscar for tear-jerking ‘Hamnet' performance
Los Angeles (AP): Jessie Buckley claimed her first Oscar on Sunday for her “Hamnet” performance that prompted almost anyone who saw it to blow through a box of tissues.
The prize for best actress went to second-time nominee Buckley for her role as William Shakespeare's wife, Agnes, in the drama directed by Chloe Zhao.
Buckley burst into a fit of laughter before beginning her speech, saying, “This is really something.”
“It's Mother's Day in the UK today, so I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother's heart,” she said. “We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds. Thank you for recognising me in this role.”
Buckley, who is Irish, had swept the awards circuit leading up to the ceremony, winning in her category at the Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Actor Awards. She is the first Irish performer to win a best actress Oscar.
A front-runner in the category, Buckley was nominated alongside first-time nominees Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I'd Kick You” and Renate Reinsve for “Sentimental Value”. Two-time winner Emma Stone was also nominated for “Bugonia”, as was two-time nominee Kate Hudson for “Song Sung Blue”.
“Hamnet”, which is an adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's prizewinning historical fiction novel from 2020, dramatises the mysterious private life of the famed playwright and poet Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway (who was also called Agnes). The plot centres on the death of the couple's 11-year-old son, Hamnet, and the intense grief that followed.
Fellow Irish actor Paul Mescal plays William as the story imagines a connection between Hamnet's tragic death and the birth of what many consider to be Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, “Hamlet”. (The two names were virtually interchangeable in England during the 16th century).
The film developed a reputation for leaving audiences in tears, due in large part to the potency of Buckley's performance. She was previously nominated for the supporting actress Oscar for her turn in the 2021 film “The Lost Daughter”.
The drama received eight Oscar nominations, including for directing, adapted screenplay and best picture.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
