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Hamnet may have been one of the saddest movies of last year, but Paul Mescal, Jesse Buckley, and director Chloé Zhao made sure to have fun on set.
On Tuesday, January 20, Chao, 43, shared a video on Instagram showing Irish stars Mescal, 29, and Buckley, 36, along with several of the Golden Globe-winning film’s actors, at a fun gala on the final day of filming.
The clip begins with Mescal and Buckley carrying their young co-star Jacobi Jupe on stage as Rihanna’s 2011 hit “We Found Love” blares, as a crowd of extras and background actors on a Globe Theater movie set cheers. Joe Alwyn, Noah Jupe, and other actors from the production soon join them on stage, and the entire cast and crew, including director Chao in the crowd, participate in an anachronistic, dance-filled moment while dressed in 16th-century movie set costumes.
“Traveling with Hamnet for months, meeting so many of you in person, and seeing the reactions of viewers around the world online has filled our hearts. We made this film for you, so thank you for always keeping your hearts open and feeling so deeply,” Chao, 43, wrote in the video’s caption. “Some of you asked me what to do with all the emotions and how the cast and crew release them on set. The answer is: Dancing is necessary! ✨” ”
Chao explained that she believes that “emotion is the energy of movement,” and that she uses “dance takes” in her films to “vent” her emotions on set.
“On our last day at the Globes, I would like to share with you the moment of our final dance take. It was a release that turned everything we were holding into joy and shared catharsis,” she added in the caption. “If it moves you, dance with us. Share your version with us. We see it everywhere you go. We can come together as a community to take on things that are too difficult for us to handle alone. This is why Shakespeare wrote the plays and why he brought people together on Earth. I hope we made him proud! ☺️❤️”
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The simple, musical, uplifting moments shared by Hamnet’s cast stand out in stark contrast to the film’s emotional, mournful tone. The film stars Buckley and Mescal as Agnes Shakespeare and William Shakespeare, and depicts their relationship and the grief they experience when their son Hamnet dies at a young age.
“Hamnet” is currently in theaters. Buckley won awards at this year’s Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globe Awards for her performance as Agnes in the film. She is also nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Leading Female Actor at the Actors Awards on March 1st.
