*Marianne Jean-Baptiste appears to be on track to join a group of iconic Black actresses with multiple Oscar nominations through her new film “Hard Truths.”
Directed by Mike Leigh, the film stars Jean-Baptiste as a woman battling depression while managing personal relationships. She was the first Black British actress nominated for an Oscar for Leigh’s 1996 film “Secrets & Lies.” If nominated again, she would join Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Bassett, Octavia Spencer, and Viola Davis as part of an elite group of Black women who have been nominated multiple times, Gold Derby reports.
Speaking to Deadline about reuniting with Leigh on “Hard Truths,” Marianne said, “We established such a tight history, like Sunday dinner with families when you ask, ‘Who’s bringing the coleslaw?’ Well, we knew Chantelle [Austin’s character] was probably going to do that. Pansy probably wouldn’t turn up with anything except for maybe some fruit that she likes but that no one else likes.”
Leigh added, “For me, this was a continuation of what I’ve been doing for a while. I did a play in Australia about Greek Australians. I did a play in London about Jews. I did a film in Northern Ireland about Catholics and Protestants. I’ve made films about posh, upper-class people and different kinds of working-class people. For me, it’s about looking at people and society and life and the way we are – all of us.”
When it comes to nabbing an Oscar nomination for her performance in the movie, Gold Derby writes, “Now as of this writing, Jean-Baptiste has risen to the top five in our combined Gold Derby odds with 21/2, surpassing Saoirse Ronan for “The Outrun,” with the backup of 16 experts, five editors, and 12 top 24 users. She trails behind Mikey Madison (“Anora”) at 37/10, Karla Sofía Gascón (“Emilia Perez”) at 9/2, Angelina Jolie (“Maria”) at 5/1, and Nicole Kidman (“Babygirl”) at 17/2 odds.” The outlet adds, “With the right momentum, Baptiste can make Oscar history this year by joining a select group of Black actresses,” with multiple nominations.
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“Hard Truths” has a limited just in the theaters on December 6, days before the Golden Globe nominations are announced on Dec. 9. The film is produced by Bleecker Street with Studiocanal distributing in the UK in January.
In related news, comedian Conan O’Brien will host the 97th Oscars on March 2, 2025, marking his debut as the show’s emcee.
“America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars,” said O’Brien in a statement.
The Oscars will air live on ABC and worldwide at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the red carpet show starting at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Conan O’Brien Announced as Host of 97th Oscars
