Brothers in arms, and Shakespeare

THE NEW FILM HAMNET, BASED ON MAGGIE O'FARRELL'S award-winning 2020 novel, imagines how William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in a haze of grief over the death of his son. In a sly bit of casting, director Chloé Zhao, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Nomadland, chose brothers to play the doomed child and the actor portraying his onstage avatar.

- BY ESTHER ZUCKERMAN

Jacobi and Noah Jupe grew up in the U.K., raised by a producer dad and actor mom. (They also have a sister.) In the movie, they both share scenes with Paul Mescal, as the Bard, and Jessie Buckley, as his earthy wife Agnes. The Shakespeares are presented as loving parents who view the world differently—William is dedicated to his craft, Agnes to the mystical qualities of the land. After Hamnet’s death, both fall into despair, but are unable to reach one another.

The younger Jacobi, 12, is Hamnet, a sensitive boy who dreams of a future in theater. Noah, his 20-year-old brother, best known for the Quiet Place movies, delivers the most famous monologue in history. Their resemblance is key to the movie’s emotional resonance. Agnes, watching the play at the Globe, is at first frustrated her husband is using their tragedy as fodder, but soon comes to recognize how he has funneled his sorrow into art. In Noah’s face, she recognizes her loss. This is deeply sad material, and when the Jupes speak with TIME, they are serious about their work, but lighthearted with each other, quick with sibling ribbing but proud of one another’s accomplishments. I was shooting in Greece, and I got a call from my mom and Chloé, and they're very giddy and smiling. They say, “How would you feel about playing Hamlet?” It was something you just cannot turn down.

Jacobi, how did you prepare for this very intense role?

Jacobi: It’s a very tough thing to do, and especially dying, that’s so awful. I’ve done quite a few roles now where I died, and my mum told me that I was going to be dying again. I was a bit annoyed at first, because I actually wanted to get through a role where I don’t die. But it was definitely worth it. The experience was incredible.