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.