In the '90s, She Was a Surprise Oscar Nominee. It May Happen Again.

In the spring of 2023, Marianne Jean-Baptiste embarked on a journey from Los Angeles to London, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. The actress was about to spend five months collaborating with veteran British director Mike Leigh. This project marked their first partnership in almost 30 years, and, as with all of Leigh’s works, there was no script provided upfront. Jean-Baptiste was unaware she would take on the lead role or the film’s storyline.

The dynamic duo last teamed up for the film ‘Secrets and Lies,’ which earned them both nominations at the 1997 Oscars. Jean-Baptiste’s standout performance as Hortense, a poised young woman reunited with her birth mother, launched her film career. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2002, she enjoyed a steady stream of roles, notably as an FBI agent in the prime-time drama ‘Without A Trace.’

Reuniting with Leigh presented Jean-Baptiste with the opportunity to embody another complex central character. Filled with hope, her collaboration appears successful, as their latest film is generating Oscars buzz. Her performance earned her the best actress honor at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards.

The film, ‘Hard Truths,’ opening in limited theaters, centers on Jean-Baptiste’s character, Pansy. She’s a cantankerous middle-aged woman known for her acerbic remarks towards shop assistants, babies, her son Moses, and others. Despite her barbed exterior, Pansy is suffering, and Jean-Baptiste masterfully unveils the vulnerability beneath. “She says people,” encapsulating Pansy’s distress.