On March 15, 2026, Jessie Buckley won the Academy Award for Best Actress and made history. And in her speech, she honored mothers around the world, in a refreshing reminder of how important a mother’s role is.
The first Irish woman to win the Best Actress Oscar, Buckley instantly became a national hero.
Buckley won for her portrayal of a remarkable mother in Hamnet, the film adaptation of a novel about Shakespeare’s wife and family. Little is known about Shakespeare’s marriage, and Hamnet imagines his wife — called Agnes in the film — as an extraordinary match for him, and a devoted mother.
Honoring mothers
In her Oscars acceptance speech, Buckley gave a moving tribute to mothers, made especially poignant not only because she played one in her winning role, but also because she became a mother herself just eight months ago to baby Isla.
She gave a nod to her character and then dedicated her win to all mothers:
To get to know this incandescent woman and journey to understand the capacity of a mother’s love is the greatest collision of my life.
It’s Mother’s Day in the U.K. today, so I would like to dedicate this to the beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart.
We all come from a lineage of women who continue to create against all odds.
Thank you for recognizing me in this role. This is the greatest honor. I can’t even believe it.
She spoke of her own joy in becoming a mother, saying to her daughter, “I love you and I love being your mom, and I can’t wait to discover life beside you.”
She also gave a personal thanks to her parents, saying:
My family, my Irish family, they’re all here, Ireland bought them flights. Where are you? Mum, Dad, thank you for teaching us to dream and to never be defined by expectation but to carve from your own passion.
And in a final nod to mothers, Buckley wore a dress inspired by legendary actress Grace Kelly, herself a devoted mom.
And dads, too!
Buckley dedicating her win to mothers made a profound statement about the greatness of a mother’s love — especially poignant at a time when mothers so often feel unsupported and unvalued.
But a joking comment Buckley made to her husband was perhaps the most telling part of her speech.
Turning to her husband, mental health worker Fred Sorenson, Buckley said:
You. Fred. I love you, man. I love you. You’re the most incredible dad. You’re my best friend. And I want to have 20,000 more babies with you. I do. I do!
Her laughing comment leaves us with something real and serious to ponder.
In an era of declining birth rates and growing intolerance for children, becoming a mother is a hard decision for many women. But one thing that will truly make or break her experience is her husband.
As Buckley jokingly implied, a good husband makes his wife want to have children with him. His support and love make all the difference.
Her comment is a great reminder of just how important a dad’s role is, too, not just a mom’s.
For men, it’s a question worth considering: What would make a woman “want to have 20,000 more babies” with you?
The answer might go a long way toward improving the “birth dearth” — not to mention how society sees and values mothers.
