THE LOVE STORY BEHIND A TRAGEDY

Actors Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal unravel the grief of the Shakespeares

- BY EMILY ZEMLER

JESSIE BUCKLEY as Agnes and Paul Mescal as Will Shakespeare in “Hamnet.”

(AGATA GRZYBOWSKA Focus Features)

It's a chilly Monday evening and no one seems to notice as Jessie Buckley, wrapped in a sweater and a warm coat, strolls up to the Hackney wine bar Bastardo.

She's early for our interview, although Paul Mescal, dressed similarly, isn't far behind. There's a quick catch-up — he's just come from rehearsals on Sam Mendes' quartet of forthcoming Beatles films (he's playing Paul McCartney) and she's been home with her 4-month-old baby.

But neither wastes time on pleasantries. They're here to discuss "Hamnet" (in theaters Wednesday), filmmaker Chloé Zhao's shattering adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's award-winning 2020 novel, and both are so eager to reflect on the experience, they stay past our inflexibly allocated time by nearly 20 minutes.

"I've worked with f— great people," says Buckley, 35, Oscar-nominated for Maggie Gyllenhaal's "The Lost Daughter" and the burning heart of "Women Talking" and "Wild Rose."

Settling onto the bench next to me, she begins to work her way through an enormous bottle of water. Mescal sits across from us, sipping on a gin and tonic.