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Marianne Raigipcien Jean-Baptiste (born 26 April 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her role in
Mike Leigh Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English screenwriter, producer, director and former actor with a film, theatre, and television career spanning more than 60 years. His accolades include prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin In ...
's drama film '' Secrets & Lies'' (1996), for which she received acclaim and earned nominations for the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
,
BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...
, and
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
for Best Supporting Actress. Jean-Baptiste is also known for her role as
Vivian Johnson Special Agent Vivian "Viv" Johnson is a fictional character played by British actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste in the CBS TV drama ''Without a Trace''. Vivian is second in command of the FBI missing persons case squad in New York City New ...
on the television series ''
Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002, to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
'' (2002-2009), and has also starred in multiple television shows such as '' Blindspot'' (2015–2016) and ''
Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada. United St ...
'' (2018). She gained renewed recognition for starring as a depressed woman in Leigh's drama film ''
Hard Truths ''Hard Truths'' is a 2024 comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, and David Webber (actor), David Webber. Set in London, its plot follows the plight of a depressed and nay-saying wom ...
'' (2024), for which she received a nomination for the
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film Award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performan ...
.


Early life

Jean-Baptiste was born in London to a mother from Antigua and a father from Saint Lucia, growing up in
Peckham Peckham ( ) is a district in south-east London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon place name meaning the vi ...
. She attended St Saviour's and St Olave's secondary school. She was classically trained at the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...
in London and performed at the
Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...
. She was nominated for a 1994
Ian Charleson Award The Ian Charleson Awards are theatrical awards that reward the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors under age 30. The awards are named in memory of the British actor Ian Charleson, and are run by the ''Sunday Times'' newspaper a ...
for her performance in
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Measure For Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604. It was published in the First Folio of 1623. The play centers on the despotic and puritan Angelo (Measure for ...
'' with theatre company
Cheek by Jowl Cheek by Jowl is an international theatre company founded in the United Kingdom by director Declan Donnellan and designer Nick Ormerod in 1981. Donnellan and Ormerod are Cheek by Jowl's artistic directors and together direct and design all of ...
.


Career

Jean-Baptiste gained international acclaim for the
Mike Leigh Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English screenwriter, producer, director and former actor with a film, theatre, and television career spanning more than 60 years. His accolades include prizes at the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlin In ...
-directed drama '' Secrets & Lies'' (1996), receiving both
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
and
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performanc ...
nominations for her performance, becoming the first black British actress to be nominated for an Academy Award and the second black Briton to be nominated, succeeding
Jaye Davidson Jaye Davidson (born Alfred Amey; 21 March 1968) is an English model, fashion stylist, and retired actor. He made his acting debut as Dil in the thriller film ''The Crying Game'' (1992), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best ...
. She had previously collaborated with Leigh onstage in ''It's a Great Big Shame'' (1993). She caused controversy when she accused the film industry of racism, noting that leading actors had been asked to attend the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
, but despite her success, she was not invited. A writer and composer, Jean-Baptiste recorded an album of blues songs and composed the musical score for Leigh's 1997 film ''
Career Girls ''Career Girls'' is a 1997 British comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh which tells the story of two women, who reunite after six years apart. The film stars Katrin Cartlidge and Lynda Steadman. The women were originally thro ...
''. In 1999, she performed in Paris in a French-language production by
Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...
of ''The Suit'' (), a one-act play by
Barney Simon Barney Simon (13 April 1932 – 30 June 1995) was a South African writer, playwright and director. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and spent most of his life there. The city of Johannesburg and its denizens, shaped by diverse racial a ...
and Mothobi Mutloatse, based on the short story by
Can Themba Daniel Canodoise "Can" Themba (21 June 1924 – 8 September 1967) was a South African short-story writer. Biography Themba was born in Marabastad, near Pretoria, but wrote most of his work in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, South Africa. The town w ...
. She was also acclaimed for her role as
Doreen Lawrence Doreen Delceita Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, (; born 1952 in Jamaica), is a British Jamaican campaigner and the mother of Stephen Lawrence, a black British teenager who was murdered in a racist attack in South East London in 1993. ...
in ''
The Murder of Stephen Lawrence ''The Murder of Stephen Lawrence'' is a British television true crime drama film, written and directed by Paul Greengrass, that first broadcast on ITV on 18 February 1999. It won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Single Drama. The film, based on the ...
'' (1999). Jean-Baptiste relocated for work reasons to the U.S. and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters. She honed her American accent and starred in the American television series ''
Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002, to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
'' as
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
agent
Vivian Johnson Special Agent Vivian "Viv" Johnson is a fictional character played by British actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste in the CBS TV drama ''Without a Trace''. Vivian is second in command of the FBI missing persons case squad in New York City New ...
. More recently, the actress has appeared in such films and television shows as ''
Takers ''Takers'' is a 2010 American heist film, heist action thriller film directed by John Luessenhop from a story and screenplay written by Luessenhop, Gabriel Casseus, Peter Allen, and Avery Duff. It features Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Ja ...
'' (2010), ''
Secrets in the Walls ''Secrets in the Walls'' is an American made for television mystery horror drama film directed by Christopher Leitch and starring Jeri Ryan. It aired on October 24, 2010 in the United States on the Lifetime Movie Network. It was released on DVD ...
'' (2010), and ''
Harry's Law ''Harry's Law'' is an American legal comedy drama series created by David E. Kelley, and starring Kathy Bates, which ran for two seasons on NBC from January 17, 2011, to May 27, 2012. On May 11, 2012, NBC announced that ''Harry's Law'' would ...
'' (2012). She was praised for her stage performance in the 2013 National Theatre production of
James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (né Jones; August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer and civil rights activist who garnered acclaim for his essays, novels, plays, and poems. His 1953 novel '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'' has been ranked ...
's play ''
The Amen Corner ''The Amen Corner'' is a three-act play by James Baldwin. It was Baldwin's first work for the stage following the success of his novel '' Go Tell It on the Mountain''. The drama was first published in 1954, and inspired a short-lived 1983 Broad ...
'', directed by
Rufus Norris Sir Rufus John Norris (born 16 January 1965) is a British theatre and film director, who was the artistic director and chief executive of the National Theatre from 2015 to 2025. He received the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2025 f ...
. As a friend of
Angela Bassett Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. Known for her work in film and television since the 1980s, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Angela Bassett, various accolades, including a Primetime ...
, Jean-Baptiste attended
Women's Image Network Awards Women's Image Network (WIN) is an organization that creates, applauds and shares stories because powerful and excellent media builds inclusive and tolerant communities. Each year since 1993, to increase the value of women and girls, Women's I ...
and on Bassett's behalf picked up an award, reading Bassett's poetic acceptance speech for her winning role in the 2013 film '' Betty & Coretta''. She played Detroit police chief Karen Dean in ''
RoboCop ''RoboCop'' is a 1987 American Science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner. The film stars Peter Weller, Nancy Allen (actress), Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Dani ...
'' (2014). Jean-Baptiste teamed up again with Mike Leigh when she played the lead role in his 2024 film ''
Hard Truths ''Hard Truths'' is a 2024 comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, and David Webber (actor), David Webber. Set in London, its plot follows the plight of a depressed and nay-saying wom ...
''. In October 2024, Jean-Baptiste was given the "Virtuoso Award" at the
San Diego International Film Festival The San Diego International Film Festival is an independent film festival held in San Diego, California, produced by the nonprofit San Diego Film Foundation. The main event has traditionally been held annually in autumn at venues in the Gaslamp Q ...
. She garnered renewed critical acclaim and awards for her role, winning Best Actress awards from
New York Film Critics Circle The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) is an American film critic Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: Academic criticism by film scho ...
,
Los Angeles Film Critics Association The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is an American film critic organization founded in 1975. Background Its membership comprises film critics from Los Angeles–based print and electronic media. In December of each year, the organi ...
, and
National Society of Film Critics The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) is an American film critic organization. The organization is known for its highbrow tastes, and its annual awards are one of the most prestigious film critics awards in the United States. In January 2024, ...
, becoming the first Black actress to win the critics' trifecta. Additionally, she garnered Best Actress nominations from the Critics Choice Awards and the
British Academy Film Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...
.


Acting credits


Film


Television


Theater


Radio

*''
When Love Speaks ''When Love Speaks'' is a compilation album that features interpretations of William Shakespeare's sonnets – some spoken, some set to music – and excerpts from his plays by famous actors and musicians, released under EMI Classics in April ...
'' (2002,
EMI Classics EMI Classics was a record label founded by Thorn EMI in 1990 to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogues for internationally distributed classical music releases. After Thorn EMI demerged in 1996, its recorded mus ...
) – "
Sonnet 15 Sonnet 15 is one of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare. It forms a diptych with Sonnet 16, as Sonnet 16 starts with "But...", and is thus fully part of the procreation sonnets, even though it does not con ...
" ("When I consider everything that grows...")


Awards and nominations


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jean-Baptiste, Marianne 1967 births Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Black British actresses English expatriate actresses in the United States English film actresses English people of Antigua and Barbuda descent English people of Saint Lucian descent English stage actresses English television actresses English voice actresses English women film directors British women television directors Living people Actresses from London Actors from the London Borough of Southwark English Shakespearean actresses 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses People from Camberwell