Actress Leaves Fans Talking After Asking Husband To Choose Between Her and the Cat

Jessie Buckley recently became the center of a funny debate online after a story from her past went viral. During an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast late last year, the Hamnet star joked about an ultimatum she gave her husband, Freddie Sorensen, when they first started dating.

She explained that he had two cats, and one of them didn’t like her at all. Things got tense enough that she felt she had to choose, saying, “It’s me or the cats.” Buckley ended the story with a laugh, saying, “I won,” but she knew her comment might ruffle some feathers among animal lovers.

The story got so much attention that Buckley addressed it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last Thursday. She wanted to make sure people knew she actually loves cats.

“I need to clarify something for all cat lovers in the world, right?” she told Fallon. She added jokingly that she’s probably “a quarter cat and three-quarters dog” after feeling some backlash.

She also shared a funny detail from her past. Buckley once auditioned for the 2019 film version of the musical Cats, but didn’t get the part. “It was the worst audition of my life,” she admitted. “I was just like a hoof of an Irish woman leaping across and licking her paws.”

While fans are talking about the cat story, Buckley’s career keeps soaring. She recently won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role at the 2026 Actor Awards for her role as Agnes Shakespeare in Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao. She’s now considered a frontrunner for the Best Actress Oscar at the ceremony on March 15th.

Her new movie, The Bride!, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, also premiered this week. In this 1930s Chicago reimagining of a classic monster tale, Buckley stars opposite Christian Bale. She and Gyllenhaal previously worked together on the drama The Lost Daughter.

Buckley has built a strong career in both indie films and big productions. Her past work includes the miniseries Chernobyl, the thriller I’m Thinking of Ending Things, and the folk-horror film Men.

She is known for delivering intense and nuanced performances, making her one of the most exciting talents in the industry today. Between awards season, her new films, and viral headlines, Jessie Buckley continues to capture attention both on and off the screen.

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