Who is Jessie Buckley, when did The Woman in White actress date James Norton and what else has she featured in?

TALENTED Irish actress Jessie Buckley has made a name for herself in TV dramas, including BBC One army series The Last Post.

She is also known for appearing in Taboo, starring Tom Hardy, and dated Bond hopeful and James Norton – here is the full lowdown…

Who is Jessie Buckley?

Jessie Buckley was born in Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland, on 28 December 1989 – she is 27 years old.

Encouraged and trained to sing by her mother, she appeared in numerous productions at her all-girls school and even took on male roles such as Tony in West Side Story.

Jessie is a talented musician, who is grade eight in the piano, clarinet and harp after training with the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

She graduated from the world-famous Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2013.

How did Jessie Buckley get her big break?

After being turned down by two drama schools, in 2008 Jessie entered the BBC talent show series I'd Do Anything, the search for new, unknown lead to play the iconic role of Nancy in Oliver!.

She excelled in the competition, reaching the final and finishing in second place behind Jodie Prenger in the public vote.

Musical theatre legends Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber, who appeared on the judging panel, both said Jessie was their preferred choice as the winner.

Following her performances on the show, she was approached to understudy Nancy, but turned it down to make her West End debut in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.

When did she move into TV drama?

Jessie played Miranda in The Tempest at the Shakespeare Globe in the 2013 summer season, and performed opposite Jude Law in a West End production of The Bard's Henry V later that year.

She also starred in a production of The Winter's Tale from the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company that was streamed to cinemas across the world in November 2015.

Then in 2016, she earned rave reviews for her "beautiful" portrayal of Marya Bolkonskaya in the BBC's big-budget hit dramatisation of War and Peace.

Jessie Buckley in The Woman in White

Jessie takes on the role of Marian Halcombe in the BBC’s adaptation of The Woman in White.
She said of her part in the series: “I love Marian because she isn’t a shrinking violet, you can’t forget her.

"She’s the Janis Joplin of the Victorian era. She is a real voice for feminism because she questions why women are constrained by society so she tests boundaries.

"But she also has softness and vulnerability in her relationship with Laura and it’s her mission to protect her.”

When did Jessie date James Norton?

Jessie met James while filming War and Peace – he played her on-screen brother, Prince Andrei.

The couple were very private about their relationship, however Jessie did speak about the McMafia star in September.

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, she said: "He’s a brilliant actor.

"Having friends and family around you that you trust is the most important thing in this industry."

However, the couple split, and James was seen kissing another co-star, Imogen Poots, in December 2017.

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