Mike Leigh is an English director and writer known for his work in film, television and stage.
Film
Year Title Director Writer Distribution 1971Bleak Moments BBC Films 1983Meantime Premiered at London Film Festival Screened on Channel 4 1985Four Days in July BBC Films 1988High Hopes Palace Pictures 1990Life Is Sweet 1993Naked First Independent Films 1996Secrets & Lies FilmFour Distributors 1997Career Girls 1999Topsy-Turvy Pathé Distribution 2002All or Nothing UGC Films UK 2004Vera Drake Momentum Pictures 2008Happy-Go-Lucky 2010Another Year 2014Mr. Turner 2018Peterloo Entertainment One/Amazon 2024 Hard Truths StudioCanal2026Tender Loving Care
Short films Year Title Director Writer Notes 1975 (broadcast 1982)"The Birth of the Goalie of the 2001 F.A. Cup Final" "Old Chums" "Probation" "A Light Snack" "Afternoon" 5-part BBC series of short filmsentitled Five Minute Films 1987"The Short and Curlies" Screened on Channel 4 1992"A Sense of History" 2012"A Running Jump" Released 24 June 2012 (UK)
Acting roles West Eleven (1963) – Uncredited Two Left Feet (1965) – Uncredited
Television
Plays
Year Title Director Writer Notes 1973-1982Play for Today 6 episodes, including:
Hard Labour Nuts in May The Kiss of Death Abigail's Party Home Sweet Home 1975Second City Firsts2 episodes:
The Permissive Society Knock for Knock 1980BBC2 Playhouse Episode: Grown-Ups
Series Year Title Director Writer Notes 1963Maigret Actor: "Paul" Episode: "The Flemish Shop" 1973Scene Episode: "A Mug's Game?" (8 March 1973) 2009Teatr telewizji Episode: "Przyjecie" (25 May 2009)
Theatre Year Title Venue 1965 The Box Play Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham 1966 My Parents Have Gone to Carlisle The Last Crusade of Five Little Nuns 1968 Individual Fruit Pies East–15 Acting School, London Down Here Up There Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, London1969 Glum Victoria and the Lad with Specs Manchester Youth Theatre1970 Bleak Moments Open Space Theatre, London1971 A Rancid Pong Basement Theatre, London1973 Dick Whittington and His Cat Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, London Wholesome Glory The Jaws of Death Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh1974 Babies Grow Old Royal Shakespeare Company The Silent Majority Bush Theatre1977 Abigail's Party Hampstead Theatre 1979 Too Much of a Good Thing Radio Play Ecstasy Hampstead Theatre, London 1981,1998 Goose-Pimples Garrick Theatre, London Judith Anderson Theater, Off-Broadway1988 Smelling a Rat Hampstead Theatre, London 1989 Greek Tragedy Belvoir St Theatre, Australia Edinburgh Festival Theatre Royal, Stratford East1993 It's a Great Big Shame! Theatre Royal, Stratford East2005 Two Thousand Years National Theatre, London2011 Grief Cottesloe Theatre, London
Recurring collaborators The following is a list of actors which collaborated with Mike Leigh on an ongoing basis. The list only includes Leigh’s feature films.
rowspan=2 Dorothy Atkinson Michele Austin Marion Bailey Mark Benton Elizabeth Berrington Jim Broadbent Katrin Cartlidge Eileen Davies Phil Davis Edna Doré Karina Fernandez Vincent Franklin Marianne Jean-Baptiste Paul Jesson Sam Kelly Sally Hawkins Alice Bailey Johnson Oliver Maltman Eddie Marsan Lesley Manville Sinead Matthews Kate O'Flynn Martin Savage Judith Scott Ruth Sheen Timothy Spall Imelda Staunton Alison Steadman David Thewlis Peter Wight
Reception TitleRatingRotten TomatoesMetacritic Bleak Moments 71 (7 reviews) Meantime89% (9 reviews)69 (4 reviews) Four Days in July High Hopes92% (13 reviews)84 (12 reviews) Life is Sweet94% (16 reviews)88 (18 reviews) Naked88% (60 reviews)85 (21 reviews) Secrets & Lies96% (45 reviews)92 (27 reviews) Career Girls88% (25 reviews)76 (25 reviews) Topsy-Turvy90% (89 reviews)90 (31 reviews) All or Nothing82% (93 reviews)72 (31 reviews) Vera Drake93% (160 reviews)83 (40 reviews) Happy-Go-Lucky93% (161 reviews)84 (34 reviews) Another Year93% (170 reviews)81 (36 reviews) Mr. Turner97% (193 reviews)94 (44 reviews) Peterloo67% (162 reviews)66 (34 reviews) Hard Truths95% (186 reviews)88 (46 reviews)
Key = A film on Rotten Tomatoes with a "Certified Fresh" rating = A film on Metacritic with a "Universal Acclaim" rating
References