Love is a many-splendored thing, especially when you’re observing it from the outside. In this new column, we’ll be looking at the celebrity couples—or sometimes, pairs of friends—who give us hope for our own romantic futures, as we try to learn what we can from their well-documented connections.

Ordinary celebrity friendships are fine (generally, I like it when people act normal!), but there’s something truly special about famous pals who aren’t afraid to get a little dramatic. Take Jessie Buckley, who shouted out her Hamnet co-star Paul Mescal while accepting her Best Actress award at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards last Sunday, saying: “Paul, I bloody love you, man. And I know loads of other women in this room do too, but tough luck. I could drink you like water, working with you every single day. You’re a giant of the heart, and thank you so much for making me a little more human.”

To be clear, I’m not suggesting there’s anything romantic between Buckley and Mescal. While he’s often fending off dating rumors that started with his Normal People co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones, Mescal has been with singer Gracie Abrams since around June 2024. Buckley recently welcomed her first child with her husband, known only as Freddie, who works in mental health and was once a producer on The X Factor. (That’s pretty much all we know about him—which, in this age of oversharing, I have to say is quite chic!)

While Buckley and Mescal’s relationship isn’t like that, her speech highlights something I’ve long believed: we could all afford to be a little more passionate and platonically obsessed with our friends. As a recently single thirty-something living alone for one of the first times in my life, I’ve never been more grateful for the friends I can call at any hour to dissect a recent date, figure out how to fix my router, or analyze some odd quirk in my dog’s behavior. Sure, it might be a bit extra to tell a friend, “I could drink you like water,” but that’s honestly how I feel whenever a pal remembers to ask about a big work meeting or brings in my packages when they come over for dinner. In these uncertain and chaotic times, we could all use being that extra!

And let no one say Buckley and Mescal’s bond hasn’t been tested: the two shared experiences while preparing for Hamnet that ranged from clubbing in the East Village to taking part in a tantric workshop at director Chloé Zhao’s request. “The first three minutes of it were excruciatingly embarrassing,” Buckley recently told British Vogue. But pretending to “be” a lingam and yoni together only brought them closer: “You’re like, ‘We’ve been a penis and a vagina in front of each other, so let’s just go.'”

Luckily, awards season is just beginning, and Hamnet looks set to win plenty more industry praise—so hopefully, this isn’t the last we’ll see of Buckley and Mescal’s close-knit and objectively fabulous friendship.

Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the press tour for Hamnet generating more buzz than the film itself framed in a natural conversational tone

General Beginner Questions

1 What is this Hamnet press tour everyone is talking about
Its the series of interviews photo shoots and public appearances actors Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are doing to promote their new film an adaptation of Maggie OFarrells novel Hamnet

2 Wait what is Hamnet actually about
The film is a historical drama that imagines the life of William Shakespeares family focusing on the grief and relationship between Shakespeare and his wife Agnes after the death of their young son Hamnet

3 Why is the press tour getting more attention than the movie
The intense palpable chemistry and insightful conversations between Buckley and Mescal in interviews have become a major story in themselves often overshadowing discussions of the films plot or themes

4 Are Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal dating in real life
No they are not dating They are costars and colleagues who have developed a strong professional rapport and friendship which is shining through in their interviews

Advanced Cultural Analysis Questions

5 Whats so different about their press tour compared to others
Instead of standard rehearsed answers their conversations feel deeply authentic intellectually engaged and emotionally resonant They discuss grief art and process in a way that feels more like a compelling podcast than a promotional obligation

6 Is this a deliberate marketing strategy
While some chemistry is always hoped for the level of organic intensity appears genuine The studio is certainly leveraging it but its widely seen as an authentic connection that cant be manufactured

7 Could this hype actually hurt the film when its released
Potentially Theres a risk that the film no matter how good cant match the unique intimate energy of the press tour Audiences might expect the movie itself to have the same specific dynamic as the interviews

8 Has this happened with other movies before
Yes to varying degrees The promotional campaigns for films like