Hamnet first entered Liza Marshall’s life as a PDF, an unpublished manuscript sitting in her inbox. She immediately optioned the rights to Maggie O’Farrell’s domestic drama, imagining the inner life of Agnes, William Shakespeare’s mysterious and misunderstood wife. Hamnet became a widely adored literary sensation, and now the Chloé Zhao-directed film adaptation is a box-office hit and an 8-time Oscar nominee, with a Best Picture nod taking Marshall to the Academy Awards for the first time.
Marshall’s Awards Buzz interview took place shortly after she returned from the annual nominee luncheon, her place in Academy history forever enshrined in the star-studded class photo. She is eager to celebrate her nomination and her adventures in L.A., but she is equally keen to heap praise on Zhao, actress Jessie Buckley, and the rest of the team that brought Hamnet to the screen. Hamnet’s power lies in its restraint — in the spaces between words, in the quiet domestic textures, in the grief that hums beneath daily ritual. Marshall’s power lies in her empathy, her eye for talent, and her ability to tell stories that inspire the same empathy and connection she brings to our conversation.
