Marianne Jean-Baptiste facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Jean-Baptiste at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Marianne Raigipcien Jean-Baptiste (1967-04-26) 26 April 1967 (age 58) Camberwell, London, England
Education	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Barking and Dagenham College
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–present
Spouse(s)	Evan Williams ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	2

Marianne Raigipcien Jean-Baptiste (born on April 26, 1967) is a talented English actress. She is widely recognized for her role in the drama film Secrets & Lies (1996). Her performance in this movie earned her great praise and nominations for major awards. These included the Academy Award, the BAFTA Award, and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

Jean-Baptiste also became well-known for playing Vivian Johnson in the popular TV series Without a Trace (2002-2009). She has appeared in many other television shows, such as Blindspot (2015–2016) and Homecoming (2018). Recently, she received new recognition for her leading role in the drama film Hard Truths (2024). For this role, she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Early Life and Training

Marianne Jean-Baptiste was born in London, England. Her mother was from Antigua, and her father was from Saint Lucia. She grew up in an area of London called Peckham. She went to St Saviour's and St Olave's secondary school.

She received special training in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. This is a very famous acting school. After her training, she performed at the Royal National Theatre. In 1994, she was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award. This was for her performance in William Shakespeare's play Measure For Measure with a theater group called Cheek by Jowl.

Acting Career Highlights

Jean-Baptiste became famous around the world for her role in the drama film Secrets & Lies (1996). This movie was directed by Mike Leigh. For her acting, she was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was the first Black British actress to be nominated for an Academy Award. She was also the second Black British person ever to receive an Academy Award nomination, after Jaye Davidson.

Before this film, she had worked with director Mike Leigh on a play called It's a Great Big Shame (1993). Jean-Baptiste also spoke out about fairness in the film industry. She mentioned that leading actors were invited to the Cannes Film Festival, but despite her success, she was not.

Besides acting, Marianne Jean-Baptiste is also a writer and composer. She recorded an album of blues songs. She also created the music for Mike Leigh's 1997 film Career Girls. In 1999, she performed in Paris in a French play called The Suit. This play was based on a short story by Can Themba. She also received praise for her role as Doreen Lawrence in the TV movie The Murder of Stephen Lawrence (1999).

Jean-Baptiste in 2009

For her acting work, Jean-Baptiste moved to the United States. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters. She learned to speak with an American accent for her role in the American TV series Without a Trace. In this show, she played an FBI agent named Vivian Johnson. She has also appeared in other films and TV shows. These include Takers (2010), Secrets in the Walls (2010), and Harry's Law (2012).

In 2013, she was praised for her performance in the play The Amen Corner. This play was by James Baldwin and was shown at the Royal National Theatre. She also played police chief Karen Dean in the movie RoboCop (2014).

Jean-Baptiste worked with director Mike Leigh again in 2024. She played the main character in his film Hard Truths. In October 2024, she received the "Virtuoso Award" at the San Diego International Film Festival. She earned a lot of praise and awards for her role in Hard Truths. She won Best Actress awards from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the National Society of Film Critics. She was the first Black actress to win all three of these major critics' awards. She also received Best Actress nominations from the Critics Choice Awards and the British Academy Film Awards.

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theater Performances

Radio Work

• When Love Speaks (2002, EMI Classics) – She performed "Sonnet 15" ("When I consider everything that grows...").

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Marianne Jean-Baptiste para niños