Biography
Mike Leigh is an English film and theatre director, writer and former actor. Born on 20 February 1943 in Salford, Greater Manchester, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design and the London School of Film Technique. He began as a theatre director and playwright in the mid-1960s before making films and television plays.
His films include Bleak Moments (1971), Life Is Sweet (1990), Naked (1993), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), Vera Drake (2004), Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), Another Year (2010), Mr. Turner (2014) and Hard Truths (2024), on which he is credited as director and writer. He has received awards including prizes at Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals, BAFTA Awards and an OBE.
