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Joe Alwyn reminisced on how he and his Hamnet costars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal bonded over Rihanna’s 2011 hit, “We Found Love,” during his appearance at the Oscars 2026 on March 15.
By Adrianne Reece Mar 16, 2026 6:51 PMTags
What ‘Hamnet’ Taught Paul Mescal About Love in His Own Life
Rihanna played a major role on the set of Hamnet—despite not being in the film.
In fact, as Joe Alwyn shared at the 2026 Oscars on March 15, he and his costars bonded over the singer’s 2011 hit “We Found Love” while working on the Chloé Zhao-directed film.
“I think it was the last day we were at the globe [the team] built,” the 35-year-old told Entertainment Tonight at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. “Chloé threw on Rihanna and everyone jumped around. It was a fun party.”
Indeed, fans marveled over a TikTok video of the cast—including Joe, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal and Noah Jupe—dancing to the track in their Shakespearean costumes earlier this year. And while Joe (who starred as Bartholomew) will always remember that moment, he’s also been in awe of all the love the film has received this award season.
Overall, Hamnet has won over 15 awards this year, including Jessie’s Best Lead Actress trophy at the Academy Awards.
“You never know how anything is going to be received,” he noted. “I felt like I was working with special people and special material. You just hope you have a fun time making it, so seeing people enjoy the movie and responding the way they have is really cool.”
As for “We Found Love,” Joe isn’t the only cast member that still thinks about that song’s behind-the-scenes impact on the film. Indeed, Jessie (who portrays Agnes, the pseudonym for Anne in the Maggie O’Farrell book Hamnet is based on) reminisced on how Rihanna’s vibrato turned the set into “a rave.”
“The whole place started vibrating,” the 36-year-old told E! News last November. “All these extras, everybody—it was amazing.”
We found love on the Globe stage.♥️ Ask and you shall receive, the official dance take with the cast of Hamnet (including over 300 extras) dancing to Rihanna’s “We Found Love” on our last day in the Globe Theatre. All the world’s a stage.🎭🪶 #HAMNET #ChloeZhao #PaulMescal #JessieBuckley
♬ original sound - focusfeaturesChloé, 43, also echoed the sentiment to E! News that same month, noting the Calvin Harris-produced track has a deep connection to the film’s solemn plot.
“That’s one of my favorite songs because it goes, ‘We found love in a hopeless place.’ And that is the paradox to what it means to be human,” she explained that month. “Often when we experience deep loss, grief and hopelessness do we find love for each other and ourselves.”
The film director continued, “So to have been in that river of grief for 10 days in The Globe Theatre, and then you see the joy and love [the cast] have for each other? You understand why grief and loss is part of the human experience: It’s to get to the other end.”
Keep reading to see more impactful films who won big at the Oscars 2026…
Best Picture
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
Actress in a Leading Role
WINNER: Jessie Buckley - Hamnet
Rose Byrne - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
Kate Hudson - Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve - Sentimental Value
Emma Stone - Bugonia
Actor in a Leading Role
Timothée Chalamet - Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio - One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke - Blue Moon
WINNER: Michael B. Jordan - Sinners
Wagner Moura - The Secret Agent
Actress in a Supporting Role
Elle Fanning - Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas - Sentimental Value
WINNER: Amy Madigan - Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku- Sinners
Teyana Taylor - One Battle After Another
Actor in a Supporting Role
Benecio Del Toro - One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi - Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo - Sinners
WINNER: Sean Penn - One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård - Sentimental Value
Director
Chloé Zhao - Hamnet
Josh Safdie - Marty Supreme
WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson - One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier - Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler - Sinners
Original Screenplay
Blue Moon
It Was Just An Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
WINNER: Sinners
Costume Design
Avatar: Fire and Ash
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
Original Song
"Dear Me" from Diane Warren: Relentless
WINNER: "Golden" from KPop Deamon Hunters
"I Lied to You" from Sinners
"Sweet Dreams of Joy" from Viva Verdii
"Train Dreams" from Train Dreams
International Feature Film
The Secret Agent
It Was Just an Accident
WINNER: Sentimental Value
Sirat
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Live Action Short Film
Butcher's Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen's Period Drama
WINNER (Tie): The Singers
WINNER (Tie): Two People Exchanging Saliva
Documentary Short Film
WINNER: All the Empty Rooms
Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
Children No More: "Were and Are Gone"
The Devil Is Busy
Perfectly a Strangeness
Original Score
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
WINNER: Sinners
Visual Effects
WINNER: Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Cinematography
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
WINNER: Sinners
Train Dreams
Film Editing
F1
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Production Design
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Adapted Screenplay
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
Documentary Feature Film
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
WINNER: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor
Casting
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Animated Short Film
Butterfly
Forevergreen
WINNER: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
Makeup & Hairstyling
WINNER: Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Animated Feature Film
Arco
Elio
WINNER: Kpop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
Sound
WINNER: F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Sirat
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