Interview
Marianne Jean-Baptiste
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Actor, singer, songwriter and director, Marianne Jean-Baptiste was born in London to an Antiguan mother and St Lucian father. Her career took off in Mike Leigh’s 1996 masterpiece Secrets & Lies, for which she received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award in the same category. Classically trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, she is as comfortable on stage as she is in television series on both sides of the Atlantic, such as her leading roles in Without a Trace and Blindspot or in movies such as Peter Strickland’s In Fabric and 2020’s Fatman with Mel Gibson. The Citizen caught up with Marianne to talk about her Antiguan heritage and her varied career in the UK and the US.
You’ve worked in film, television and theatre. Which do you find most satisfying and why? Theatre. I have always loved theatre and the process of rehearsals where you really get to dive in and explore the characters and themes of the play. There is something quite frightening about it, but it’s also exhilarating; when you’re live on stage, no one can call cut; it’s just actors truly taking control of the piece - or the piece taking control of them in some cases. The audience is right there experiencing the play along with you. It’s magical. Your first major role in Secrets & Lies was with the legendary Mike Leigh, who has an extremely unique improvisational approach to his filmmaking. Was it difficult to readjust to more ‘traditional’ directors after this experience? I think I’m still adjusting! Working with Mike Leigh is such a unique experience. There is no script, and you create the character from scratch, so it’s a very long and intense experience, but for an artist, it’s extremely rewarding; I guess I miss that in the more traditional projects, the time spent and attention to detail.
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THE CITIZEN
