Catch Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, and the Hamnet Cast Having Fun Dancing to Rihanna on Set

Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Jacobi Jupe and more on Hamnet’s set.
Credit:

Chloe Zhao/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• Hamnet director Chloé Zhao shared a lively video capturing the cast and crew dancing on the last day of filming.
• The team celebrated to Rihanna’s 2011 hit “We Found Love,” which Zhao noted is a method for her cast and crew to express their emotions on set.
• This month, Hamnet won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (Drama), while Jessie Buckley received both a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for her performance.

On January 20, Chloé Zhao shared a vibrant Instagram video featuring stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, along with several other actors from the acclaimed production, marking a joyous conclusion to their filming journey.

The video begins with Mescal and Buckley joyfully carrying young co-star Jacobi Jupe onto a stage, as the infectious energy of Rihanna’s “We Found Love” fills the air. Cheerful applause erupts from extras and background performers who had gathered at the film’s set designed to resemble the Globe Theatre. Actors Joe Alwyn and Noah Jupe, among others, soon join the celebration, creating a lively dance scene while still dressed in their 16th-century costumes.

“After traveling with Hamnet for months, meeting so many of you in person and watching online audience reactions from around the world, our hearts are FULL. We made the film for you, so we thank you for keeping your hearts open and for feeling so deeply,” Zhao stated in the video caption. “Some of you have asked me what to do with all the emotions and how my cast and crew release them on set; the answer is: Dance Takes! ✨”

Zhao elaborated on her philosophy, describing emotion as “energy in motion.” She explained that the film incorporated “dance takes” to channel and release emotions during filming. “We want to share moments from our final Dance Take with you, on our last day in the Globe Theatre. It was a release that turned everything we’d been holding into joy, into shared catharsis,” she continued. “If it moves you, join us! Dance with us. Share your version with us. However it looks, wherever you are. We can hold together, in community, what is too hard to hold on our own. This is why Shakespeare wrote his plays and why he brought people together in the Globe. We hope we made him proud! ☺️❤️”

Jessie Buckley and Joe Alwyn in Hamnet.

Agata Grzybowska / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

The shared moment of joy among the Hamnet cast contrasts sharply with the film’s overarching themes of grief and loss. Buckley and Mescal portray Agnes and William Shakespeare, navigating the profound sadness that accompanies the death of their young son, Hamnet.

Hamnet is currently in theaters. Buckley has received multiple accolades for her role as Agnes at this year’s Critics’ Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards. Additionally, she is nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role at the upcoming Actor Awards on March 1.