Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943 in Salford) is a British writer-director of film and theatre whose work emerges from months of improvisational rehearsal rather than a finished script. He won the Best Director prize at Cannes for Naked (1993), the Palme d'Or for Secrets & Lies (1996), and the Golden Lion at Venice for Vera Drake (2004). Across his career he has received seven Oscar nominations and thirteen BAFTA nominations.
At the Golden Globes event in London, Leigh stated that his new film Tender Loving Care will most likely be his last - due to myositis, a rare autoimmune disease affecting muscles.
The film Tender Loving Care was included in the competition section of the San Sebastián film festival.
In February 2026, Leigh completed filming of a new, then still unnamed film in London; his long-time collaborators Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson, Kate O'Flynn and Alice Bailey Johnson returned in the leading roles.
Leigh confirmed that he will collaborate on the new project with the same producers as on Hard Truths - Bleecker Street, StudioCanal, Film4 and Cornerstone.
The film Hard Truths had its world premiere at the Toronto film festival; Marianne Jean-Baptiste won critics' awards from NYFCC, LAFCA and NSFC for her leading role and became the first Black actress to win this trio of awards.
