Marianne Jean-Baptiste Breaks Down Mike Leigh’s Unorthodox Development Process: ‘He Makes the Most Incredible Pieces of Work’

Having started his career in the theater, Mike Leigh knows to put a lot of trust in his actors. Unlike most auteurs who begin the process of building a new project by writing a script, Leigh prefers to come in with as little of an idea as possible and work with his cast to establish the story they’re going to tell together. Marianne Jean-Baptiste first got a taste of this experience working with Leigh on his London stage play “It’s a Great Big Shame” in 1993 and earned an Oscar nomination in 1997 for her portrayal of Hortense in his Palme d’Or winning film “Secrets & Lies.”

The collaborators have reunited for the upcoming drama “Hard Truths,” which is earning Jean-Baptiste some much deserved awards buzz, as well as the appreciation of fellow actress Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, also in contention for RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys.” Speaking to one another for TheWrap’s longform series “Visionaries,” Jean-Baptiste shared details with Ellis-Taylor of how Leigh’s unusual development strategy yields remarkable results.

“‘Hard Truths’ came out of months of rehearsals and improvisation,” she said. “When you sign on, as I said with his play, he does the same thing for films. How he gets money to make them I think is on reputation and on the films that he’s produced in the past because he says quite clearly, ‘I don’t know what the film’s about. There probably won’t be anybody in it that you’ll recognize — a star name or something that can green light a movie — and I don’t want you to interfere in any way, but can I please have some money to do the film.’ But he makes the most incredible pieces of work so you go along with him.”

Leigh’s process begins by asking his actors to make a list of people who make an impact on their daily lives or who they can’t help but notice for one particular reason or another.

“It could be that woman that you see in the coffee shop every day that’s kind of a bit strange or maybe a bit quirky or maybe not, maybe a bit boring looking, but just somebody you can talk about for a while so you take that list into rehearsals and you sit with him and just the two of you one-on-one and you go through the list,” said Jean-Baptiste. “You talk and talk and talk and talk about all these characters and then he starts making the list smaller and smaller, crossing names off, until you end up with anything from three to five characters on that list and then you do an exercise whereby you merge those five people together into one and you talk about it, but you also move, so you have to feel it in your body, you have to feel those people at each step of the way.”

Though it would seem like Leigh is trying to get his actors to become their characters, Jean-Baptiste believes he has no interest in working with whoever she’s supposed to be playing. Especially a tough cookie like Pansy in “Hard Truths.”

“Thing about him, he’ll say, ‘come out of character’ when you’re in a scene because there’s this whole process of going into character and coming out of character. He’s not into the method stuff or whatever cause ultimately, the belief being if you are in character the whole time, how am I going to give you an adjustment or a note?” Jean-Baptiste told Ellis-Taylor. “Who am I giving the note to, the character? How’s the character going to use the note? Is the character a character that even listens to people? So we have to find a way to go in and come out.”

Watch Jean-Baptiste and Ellis-Taylor’s entire “Visionaries” conversation below.

“Hard Truths” releases in theaters nationwide January 10 from Bleecker Street.