About

Known credits:
91
Birthday:
1943-02-20
Place of birth:
Salford, Greater Manchester, England, UK
Website:
N/A

Mike Leigh

Overview

Michael "Mike" Leigh, OBE (born 20 February 1943) is a British writer and director of film and theatre. He studied theatre at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and studied further at the Camberwell School of Art and the Central School of Art and Design. He began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid 1960s. In the 1970s and 1980s his career moved between work for the theatre and making films for BBC Television, many of which were characterized by a gritty "kitchen sink realism" style. His well-known films include Life is Sweet (1990), the comedy-drama Career Girls (1997), the Gilbert and Sullivan biopic Topsy Turvy (1999), and the bleak working-class drama All or Nothing (2002). His most notable works are arguably Naked (1993) for which he won the Best Director Award at Cannes, the BAFTA-winning (and Oscar-nominated) Palme d'Or winner Secrets & Lies (1996) and Golden Lion winner Vera Drake (2004).

His films and stage plays, according to the critic Michael Coveney, "comprise a distinctive, homogenous body of work which stands comparison with anyone's in the British theatre and cinema over the same period."  Coveney further noted Leigh's role in helping to create stars – Liz Smith in Hard Labour, Alison Steadman in Abigail's Party, Brenda Blethyn in Grown-Ups, Antony Sher in Goose-Pimples, Gary Oldman and Tim Roth in Meantime, Jane Horrocks in Life is Sweet, David Thewlis in Naked – and remarked that the list of actors who have worked with him over the years – including Sheila Kelley, Paul Jesson, Phil Daniels, Lindsay Duncan, Lesley Sharp, Kathy Burke, Stephen Rea, Eric Richard, Julie Walters – "comprises an impressive, almost representative, nucleus of outstanding British acting talent."  Ian Buruma, writing in the New York Review of Books in January 1994, noted: "It is hard to get on a London bus or listen to the people at the next table in a cafeteria without thinking of Mike Leigh. Like other wholly original artists, he has staked out his own territory. Leigh's London is as distinctive as Fellini's Rome or Ozu's Tokyo."

Description above from the Wikipedia article Mike Leigh, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Acting
2024 Her Name Was Moviola Actor Self N/A
N/A
2023 Cannes Uncut Actor Self 58
Average
2022 Reel Britannia Actor Self 70
Good
2021 Why Are We (Not) Creative? Actor Self 59
Average
2020 Drama Out of a Crisis: A Celebration of Play for Today Actor Self N/A
N/A
2018 Scenes from A Separation Actor Self 58
Average
2014 The One and Only Mike Leigh Actor Self 59
Average
2013 What Is Cinema? Actor Self 58
Average
2009 Vittorio D. Actor Self 59
Average
2009 Looking for Truffaut Actor Self 59
Average
2007 All About 'Abigail's Party' Actor Self 58
Average
2003 Cinema16: British Short Films Actor Self - Commentary, The Short & Curlies (voice) 59
Average
2000 Humphrey Jennings: The Man Who Listened to Britain Actor Self 59
Average
2000 Mike Leigh: The Conversation Actor Self - Interviewee N/A
N/A
1998 Welcome to Hollywood Actor Mike Leigh 58
Average
1998 Inside the Golden Statue Actor Self 59
Average
1982 Mike Leigh: Making Plays Actor Self N/A
N/A
1963 Two Left Feet Actor Jim 58
Average
Untitled 13 Actor N/A
N/A

Directing
2024 Hard Truths Directing Director 58
Average
2018 Peterloo Directing Director 60
Fair
2014 Mr. Turner Directing Director 61
Fair
2012 A Running Jump Directing Director 59
Average
2010 Another Year Directing Director 63
Fair
2008 Happy-Go-Lucky Directing Director 62
Fair
2004 Vera Drake Directing Director 64
Fair
2003 Cinema16: British Short Films Directing Director 59
Average
2002 All or Nothing Directing Director 61
Fair
1999 Topsy-Turvy Directing Director 60
Fair
1997 Career Girls Directing Director 59
Average
1996 Secrets & Lies Directing Director 67
Fair
1993 Naked Directing Director 66
Fair
1993 Two Mikes Don't Make a Wright Directing Director 59
Average
1992 A Sense of History Directing Director 59
Average
1990 Life Is Sweet Directing Director 61
Fair
1989 High Hopes Directing Director 60
Fair
1987 The Short & Curlies Directing Director 59
Average
1984 Four Days in July Directing Director 59
Average
1983 Meantime Directing Director 59
Average
1982 Afternoon Directing Director 58
Average
1982 A Light Snack Directing Director 59
Average
1982 Probation Directing Director 59
Average
1982 Old Chums Directing Director 58
Average
1982 The Birth of the Goalie of the 2001 F.A. Cup Final Directing Director 59
Average
1982 Home Sweet Home Directing Director 58
Average
1980 Grown-Ups Directing Director 59
Average
1979 Who's Who Directing Director 59
Average
1977 Abigail's Party Directing Director 59
Average
1977 The Kiss of Death Directing Director 59
Average
1976 Knock for Knock Directing Director N/A
N/A
1976 Nuts in May Directing Director 59
Average
1975 The Permissive Society Directing Director 59
Average
1973 Hard Labour Directing Director 59
Average
1973 A Mug's Game? Directing Director 59
Average
1971 Bleak Moments Directing Director 58
Average
Untitled Mike Leigh Film Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
2024 Hard Truths Writing Writer 58
Average
2018 Peterloo Writing Writer 60
Fair
2014 Mr. Turner Writing Writer 61
Fair
2012 A Running Jump Writing Writer 59
Average
2010 Another Year Writing Writer 63
Fair
2009 The Party Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2008 Happy-Go-Lucky Writing Screenplay 62
Fair
2004 Vera Drake Writing Writer 64
Fair
2002 All or Nothing Writing Writer 61
Fair
1999 Topsy-Turvy Writing Writer 60
Fair
1997 Career Girls Writing Writer 59
Average
1996 Secrets & Lies Writing Writer 67
Fair
1993 Naked Writing Writer 66
Fair
1990 Life Is Sweet Writing Writer 61
Fair
1989 High Hopes Writing Writer 60
Fair
1987 The Short & Curlies Writing Writer 59
Average
1984 Four Days in July Writing Writer 59
Average
1983 Meantime Writing Writer 59
Average
1982 Afternoon Writing Writer 58
Average
1982 A Light Snack Writing Writer 59
Average
1982 Probation Writing Writer 59
Average
1982 Old Chums Writing Writer 58
Average
1982 The Birth of the Goalie of the 2001 F.A. Cup Final Writing Writer 59
Average
1982 Home Sweet Home Writing Writer 58
Average
1980 Grown-Ups Writing Writer 59
Average
1979 Who's Who Writing Writer 59
Average
1977 Abigail's Party Writing Writer 59
Average
1977 The Kiss of Death Writing Writer 59
Average
1976 Knock for Knock Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1976 Nuts in May Writing Writer 59
Average
1975 The Permissive Society Writing Writer 59
Average
1973 Hard Labour Writing Writer 59
Average
1973 A Mug's Game? Writing Writer 59
Average
1971 Bleak Moments Writing Writer 58
Average

Production
2015 Mike Leigh's the Pirates of Penzance - English National Opera Production Production Director N/A
N/A