Marianne Jean-Baptiste Talks ‘Hard Truths’ Praise, Award Recognition

Marianne Jean-Baptiste is taking awards recognition in her stride.

The Hard Truths actress, fresh off the back of a best lead performance win at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) Sunday night, briefly caught The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the ceremony about the reception to her performance in Mike Leigh‘s latest project.

Reuniting with her Secrets & Lies (1996) director for Hard Truths, Jean-Baptiste plays Pansy, a woman whose anger issues increasingly alienate her from her family. Notably, the star was overlooked by the Golden Globes on Monday, despite critics — including THR‘s David Rooney and Lovia Gyarkye — lauding it as one of the top performances of 2024. “At the top of the heap, I’d have to put Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s snarling turn in Hard Truths,” Rooney judged. “Jean-Baptiste pushes her sourness to frequently comic heights. But almost imperceptibly, with only the subtlest softening, the actress starts to engage our empathy. She forces us to reckon with Pansy’s bone-deep weariness, her pain and disappointment and history of trauma.”

Jean-Baptiste told THR about the reaction: “When you’re making a film like that, you just don’t what the film is, much less how people are going to respond to it. So it’s been really lovely.”

On being the recipient of praise, the Brit said: “It serves its purpose because it gets people to see the film. I mean, ultimately, people telling you you’ve done a good job is not a bad thing, right?” She continued, discussing co-star Michele Austin: “It’s really collaborative… We all have a great deal of fun. [She’s like] my sister, we’ve known each other for years. So it was just beautiful.”

“Mike Leigh is a director [who says] to producers or financiers, ‘I’m going to do a film. I don’t know what it’s about. You probably won’t know who’s in it,’” she said about getting Hard Truths made. “So for people to give money to do that is remarkable in itself!”

It was a Kneecap sweep at the 2024 BIFAs in London on Sunday, but the international Irish indie failed to pick up any nods at the Golden Globes. France’s Oscar pick, however, Emilia Pérez, is leading the Golden Globes pack with 10 nominations, surpassing Cabaret’s and Barbie’s nine to set a new all-time record on the musical/comedy side.

Other notable film snubs include no best director nod for Wicked helmer Jon M. Chu or Dune: Part Two‘s Denis Villeneuve and no nominations at all for animated hopefuls Piece by Piece or That Christmas.