"It's still a struggle because producers always go with what they know and play it safe."It's too easy to call it racism that just confuses people and makes them defensive. It's just not in producers' consciousness to cast imaginatively; they don't think black women can be seen in a variety of roles. I could have played the leads in Sliding Doors, Sabrina or Stepmom that would have added dimensions to those films but producers aren't thinking like that. That's where my frustration lies."Did I go into acting just to talk about politics? I don't think so. I've talked about it numerous times in the past, and I feel I have to move on now.
We know those people are out there, but it's best to let the work do the talking Now I'm very proactive. Instead of staying at home waiting for a call, I go to producers and say, 'You've said you're a big fan of my work. Prove it!'''The fruits of Jean-Baptiste's initiative will be flourishing over the next few months. She is starring as Robert Redford's assistant in Spy Game, a new thriller directed by Tony Scott (Top Gun). Then, from 9 July, Jean-Baptiste is headlining alongside Sally Field and Sophie Marceau in the West End production of The Vagina Monologues.
"At first, I thought it would be 1970s agitprop, but it's actually like a hilarious stand-up routine It doesn't smack you over the head with vaginas Men are so embarrassed, they can't say the word. So I'm thinking up alternative titles like Snatches of Time.''Mother of a three-year-old daughter, Jean-Baptiste also finds time to write. She has already penned a play, We Are Africa, and a film score, Career Girls supplying vocals too and is now working on two screenplays. "My daughter watches children's telly every day from Teletubbies through to Rugrats and that's my window for writing.
