Mike Leigh is a staple of British cinema and theatre having had a directing career that spans seven decades. Seven is also the number of Oscars he's been nominated for. He's also helped to create stars we know and love today including Gary Oldman, Tim Roth and Liz Smith, as well as collaborating with well known actors such as Timothy Spall and Jim Broadbent.

There's a lot of myths and misconceptions around the way Mike works, from how he chooses his actors, to how much he improvises. So in this episode we spend plenty of time clarifying those topics, and delve into how he got started and his thoughts on newcomer filmmakers. Are there too many new actors each year? Do we have less creative freedom now? Are our dwindling attention spans dictating movie styles?

Sit back and enjoy this week's episode of Crossing the Line.

Mike's Links:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005139/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leigh

Crossing the Line:
https://twitter.com/CTL_Podcast
https://www.instagram.com/crossingthelinepod/
https://crossingthelinepod.com