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Alison Steadman

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Alison Steadman
OBE
Steadman during a recording of You'll Have Had Your Tea for BBC Radio 4 in 2006
Born (1946-08-26) 26 August 1946 (age 78)
Liverpool, England
Alma materEast 15 Acting School
OccupationActress
Years active1968–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1973; div. 2001)​
PartnerMichael Elwyn
Children2
Steadman's voice
recorded 2012, as part of an audio description of the pelicans in St James's Park for VocalEyes

Alison Steadman OBE (born 26 August 1946) is an English actress. She received the 1977 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for Abigail's Party, the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh film Life Is Sweet and the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for her role as Mari in the original production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. In a 2007 Channel 4 poll, the '50 Greatest Actors' voted for by other actors, she was ranked 42.[1]

Steadman made her professional stage debut in 1968 and went on to establish her career in Mike Leigh's 1970s TV plays Nuts in May (1976) and Abigail's Party (1977).[2] She received BAFTA TV Award nominations for the 1986 BBC serial The Singing Detective and in 2001 for the ITV drama series Fat Friends (2000–2005). Other television roles include Pride and Prejudice (1995), Gavin & Stacey (2007–2010, 2019, 2024) and Orphan Black (2015–2016). Her other film appearances include A Private Function (1984), Topsy-Turvy (1999), The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004), Dad's Army (2016) and The King's Man (2021).

Early life and education

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Steadman was born in Liverpool, the youngest of three sisters born to Marjorie (née Evans) (1912–1996) and George Percival Steadman (1912–1991),[3] who worked as a production controller for Plessey, an electronics firm.

Steadman was educated at Childwall Valley High School for Girls, a state grammar school in the Liverpool suburb of Childwall, followed by East 15 Acting School, at which she secured a place in the autumn of 1966 and where she met Mike Leigh during her second year.[4]

Career

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Stage work

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Having left the East 15 Acting School in Loughton, Essex, Steadman worked in various regional repertory theatres, starting at Lincoln in 1968, where her first role was the schoolgirl Sandy in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She created the role of the monstrous Beverly in Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party, which she reprised with the original cast on television. She won an Olivier Award for The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and also appeared in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Entertaining Mr Sloane, Hotel Paradiso, and others in locations as diverse as the Royal Court, the Theatre Royal, the Old Vic, the Hampstead Theatre, the Nottingham Playhouse, the Everyman Liverpool and the National Theatre. She starred as Elmire in the 1983 RSC production of Molière's Tartuffe, which was adapted for BBC television. [citation needed] 2002 saw her play the role of Hillary in Debbie Isitt's The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at the West End's Ambassadors Theatre to widely positive reviews.[5] In 2010 Steadman played Madame Arcati in a revival of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit.[6][7] In 2014 Steadman appeared as Madame Raquin in Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Emile Zola's Thérèse Raquin.[8][9]

Film

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Steadman has appeared in many films, including P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang (1982), Champions (1983), A Private Function (1984), Number One (1984), Clockwise (1986), Stormy Monday (1988), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Shirley Valentine (1989), Wilt (1989), Life Is Sweet (1990), Blame It on the Bellboy (1992), Topsy-Turvy (1999), The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004), Confetti (2006), Burn Burn Burn (2015), Dads Army (2016) and 23 Walks (2020),

Television

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An early television appearance came in 1976 which saw Steadman cast as Cheryl Baker in the Granada Television daytime series Crown Court. Her character was the secretary of a confidence trickster found guilty of fraud.

Other television work includes Fat Friends as Betty, Grumpy Old Women, Stressed Eric, Let Them Eat Cake, The Singing Detective, No Bananas, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years as Pauline Mole, opposite James Bolam in the television film The Missing Postman, and Pride and Prejudice as Mrs. Bennet. In 1991, she also appeared as Edda Göring in Selling Hitler and as Lauren Patterson in Gone to the Dogs, which was then followed up by Gone to Seed.

Television productions directed by Leigh in which she has appeared include Nuts in May, Hard Labour and Abigail's Party. She also appeared in the BBC comedy The Worst Week of My Life. In 2007 she featured in the BBC Wales programme Coming Home about her Welsh family history, with roots in Trefarclawdd and Ruabon.

In October 2007 Steadman appeared in Fanny Hill on BBC Four.

From May 2007 to January 2010 Steadman starred in the BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey as Pam Shipman. She returned to the role for the Christmas specials in 2019 and 2024 respectively.[10][11] She appeared in Lewis as the Reverend Martha Steadman in 'Intelligent Design' in 2013.

Steadman starred with Myra Frances in Girl, a 1974 BBC play in the Second City Firsts series, performing the first lesbian kiss on British television.[12]

In 2014 Steadman starred as Joyce in the first series of the BBC comedy Boomers, followed by a Christmas special in 2015 and a second series in 2016.[13] In 2016 she presented the three-part series Little British Islands with Alison Steadman on Channel 4. The series visited Gigha, Jura, Colonsay and Oronsay in episode 1, Jersey, Alderney and Sark in episode 2 and the Isles of Scilly in episode 3. In 2016 she appeared as Abigail in the Midsomer Murders episode 'The incident at Cooper Hill'.

In 2018 Steadman made a return to BBC1 with John Cleese in Hold the Sunset. On 9 December 2018 Steadman appeared in the BBC1 Drama 'Care' in the role of Mary.

Radio

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On radio, Steadman's talent for mimicry and character voices was given full rein in the 1970s, mainly at BBC Manchester, in comedy sketch shows including Week Ending, Castle's on the Air and The Worst Show on the Wireless. In the second and third of these she played the over-protective mother to Eli Woods's long-suffering Bunty/Precious. From 1982 to 1984, also at BBC Manchester, she joined Eli Woods and Eddie Braben (Morecambe and Wise's scriptwriter) in 13 episodes of the radio comedy The Show with No Name, written by Braben, which can best be described as an updated version of the comedy sketch show Round the Horne. In the early to mid 1980s Steadman also had a spell in Roy Hudd's long-running comedy sketch series The News Huddlines. From 2002 she co-starred as Mrs Naughtie in the situation comedy series Hamish and Dougal. In December 2009 she starred in Mike Stott's My Mad Grandad on BBC Radio 4.[14] From 2012 she played Ginny Fox, a parody of Virginia Woolf, in the sitcom Gloomsbury. In 2018 she made a guest appearance in Radio 4's The Archers as Olwen, a friend of Jill Archer.

Personal life

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In 1972 director Mike Leigh drove to Liverpool to see Ted Whitehead's play The Foursome, which featured Steadman. He asked her to be in his film Hard Labour, during which, both said, they "got together".[15] They married in 1973 and had two sons.[16] The couple lived with their sons in Wood Green, London.[17] They separated in 1995 and divorced in 2001.

Steadman's partner is actor Michael Elwyn.[18] The couple live in Highgate, London.[19]

She is a birdwatcher[20] and in November 2016 became an ambassador for London Wildlife Trust.[21]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1975 Nuts in May Candice Marie TV film
1977 Abigail's Party Beverly TV film
1980 Moving Pictures Mrs. Arnolfini TV film
1982 P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang Miss Land TV film
1983 Tartuffe, or the Impostor Elmire TV film
1984 Champions Mary Hussey
A Private Function Mrs. Allardyce
Number One Doreen TV film
1985 The Caucasian Chalk Circle Kato / Natella / Aniko TV film
1985 Coming Through Kate TV film
1986 Clockwise Gwenda Stimpson
1987 The Finding Mum TV film
The Short & Curlies Betty TV short film
1988 Coming Through Kate TV film
Stormy Monday Mayor
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Daisy
1989 Shirley Valentine Jane
Wilt Eva Wilt
1990 Life Is Sweet Wendy
1992 Blame It on the Bellboy Rosemary Horton
1994 Degas and Pissaro Fall Out Emma Dumay Short film
1996 Secrets & Lies Dog Owner
The Snow Queen's Revenge Pearl Voice role
1997 The Missing Postman Christine Peacock TV film
The Ugly Duckling The Hen Voice role
1998 Queen's Park Story The Squirrel TV short film. Voice role
1999 Topsy-Turvy Madame Leon
Santa's Last Christmas The Sorceress TV film. Voice role
2001 Chunky Monkey Beryl
Happy Now? Bronwyn Race
Bob the Builder: A Christmas to Remember Bunty Ferguson (The Mayoress) Video. Voice role (UK dub)
Ivor the Invisible Auntie Barbara TV film. Voice role
2002 D.I.Y. Hard Woman Short film
2003 Philip Larkin: Love and Death in Hull Narrator Voice role
Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale Mrs. Meisling TV film
2004 Bosom Pals Joan TV film. Voice role
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Casting Agent
2005 Bob the Builder: Bob's Big Plan Bunty Ferguson (The Mayoress) TV film. Voice role (UK dub)
The Housewife Narration / The Housewife Short film
2006 Confetti Sam's Mum
Dead Rich Maggie Short film
Loony in the Woods Crazy Butcher
2007 The Dinner Party Juliet TV film
Who Gets the Dog? Jenny Evans TV film
2009 Second Chance Billie Shackleton Short film
2010 Come Rain Come Shine Dora Mitchell TV film
2012 A Civil Arrangement Isobel TV film
The Day My Nan Died Jean Short film
Notes Allison Short film
2014 Peterman Auntie Jean
2015 Burn Burn Burn Diana
2016 Dad's Army Mrs. Fox
2017 French Exchange Mrs. Phillips Short film
We Can Be Heroes Granny Evans
Yours Faithfully Edna Welthorpe (Mrs) Edna Welthorpe Short film
2018 Bertie Ann Short film
Ghosted Alison Short film
Care Mary TV film
Three Sacks Full of Hats Mum Short film
2019 Off Grid Grace Tanner Short film
2020 23 Walks Fern
Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse Dora TV film
2021 The King's Man Rita
2024 Better Man Betty

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1971 Bel Ami Fencer Episode: "Madeleine"
1973 Z-Cars WPC Bayliss 2 episodes: "Suspicion" and "Nuisance"
1973–1974 Frost's Weekly Various roles 7 episodes
1973–1981 Play for Today Various roles 9 episodes
1974 Crown Court Mary Chatham 3 episodes: "Good and Faithful Friends: Parts 1–3"
Second City Firsts Jackie Episode: "Girl"
1975 Helen Episode: "Early to Bed"
Tarbuck and All That! Various roles Series regular
Oil Strike North Paula Webber Episode: "First Lion"
The Wackers Bernadette Clarkson 7 episodes
1976 Crown Court Cheryl Baker 3 episodes: "Scard: Parts 1–3"
Red Letter Day Margaret Hudson Episode: "Bag of Yeast"
1977 Esther Waters Sarah 3 episodes
1978 ITV Playhouse Norma Hardy Episode: "Ten Days That Shook the Branch"
1979 Two's Company Pamela Episode: "The Silence"
1985–1987 Nature in Focus Helen 12 episodes
1986 The Singing Detective Mrs. Lili Marlow Mini-series, 5 episodes
In Sickness and in Health Mother Episode: "Christmas Special"
1989 Screen Two Brenda Ogdon Episode: "Virtuoso"
The Jim Henson Hour Perriwinkle Episode: "Monster Maker"
Screenplay Marjorie Episode: "A Small Mourning"
1990 Screen One Jackie Johns Episode: "News Hounds"
1991 Selling Hitler Edda Goering Mini-series, 1 episode
Gone to the Dogs Lauren Patterson Mini-series, 6 episodes
1992 Gone to Seed Hilda Series regular, 6 episodes
1994 The Wimbledon Poisoner Elinor Farr Mini-series, 2 episodes
1995 Kavanagh QC Evelyn Marie Kendall Episode: "Nothing But the Truth"
Pride and Prejudice Mrs. Bennet Mini-series, 6 episodes
Coogan's Run Annette Episode: "The Curator"
1995–1998 Crapston Villas Marge Stenson Series regular, 20 episodes
1996 Karaoke Mrs. Haynes Mini-series, 2 episodes
Cold Lazarus Mrs. Haynes Mini-series, 1 episode
No Bananas Evelyn Hamilton Series regular, 10 episodes
1998–2000 Stressed Eric Mrs. Perfect Series regular, voice role, 13 episodes
1999 Let Them Eat Cake Madame de Plonge 4 episodes
2000–2005 Fat Friends Betty Simpson Series regular, 23 episodes
2001 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years Pauline Mole Series regular, 6 episodes
2002 Celeb Grandma Episode: "The Love Child"
2003 Lenny Henry in Pieces Various roles 4 episodes
Comic Relief Professor Minerva McGonagall Sketch: "Harry Potter and the Chamberpot of Azerbaijan"
2004 Dalziel and Pascoe Marion Mattis Episode: "Soft Touch"
2004–2005 The Lenny Henry Show Mrs. Twelvetrees 2 episodes
2004–2006 The Worst Week of My Life Angela Cook Series regular, 17 episodes
2005 Twisted Tales Margery Faversham Episode: "Fruitcake of the Living Dead"
Bob the Builder Bunty Ferguson (The Mayoress) Voice role (UK dub). Episode: "Bob's Big Plan"
2007 The Last Detective Karen Horner Episode: "The Man from Montevideo"
Agatha Christie's Marple Kirsten Lindstrom Episode: "Ordeal by Innocence"
Fanny Hill Mrs. Brown / Madam 2 episodes: "#1.1" and "#1.2"
The Omid Djalili Show Mrs. Dashett Episode: "#1.2"
2007–2010, 2019, 2024 Gavin & Stacey Pam Shipman Series regular, 22 episodes
2012 Playhouse Presents Tina Episode: "King of the Teds"
Inspector George Gently Esther Dunwoody Episode: "The Lost Child"
Little Crackers Alison's Mum
Mrs. O'Grady 		Episode: "Alison Steadmans Little Cracker: The Autograph"
Episode: "Paul O'Grady's Little Cracker: Boo! A Ghost Story"
2013 Lewis Rev. Martha Seager 2 episodes: "Intelligent Design: Parts 1 & 2"
The Syndicate Rose Wilson Series regular, 6 episodes
Love and Marriage Pauline Paradise Series regular, 6 episodes
2014 Comedy Blaps Mum Episode: "A Liam Williams 'Blap': Episode 3 – Home"
The Great War: The People's Story Hallie Miles Mini-series, 3 episodes
The Secrets Angela Episode: "The Dilemma"
2014–2016 Boomers Joyce Series regular, 13 episodes
2015 Inside No. 9 'Madam Talbot' / Anne Episode: "Séance Time"
2015–2016 Orphan Black Kendall Malone 5 episodes
2016 Midsomer Murders Abigail Tonev Episode: "The Incident at Cooper Hill"
Yonderland Barbara Maddox Episode: "It's the Thought That Counts"
Comedy Playhouse Brenda Episode: "Broken Biscuits"
2017 Cath Episode: "Static"
We Have Been Watching Narrator Series regular
2018 Butterfly Barbara Mini-series, 3 episodes
The Reluctant Landlord Debbie Episode: "Mama's Boy"
The Crystal Maze Fairy God Mumsie Episode: "Celebrity Christmas Special"
2018–2019 Hold the Sunset Edith Series regular, 13 episodes
2019 Moominvalley Emma the Stage Rat Voice role, 2 episodes: "Little My Moves In" and "Moominsummer Madness"
2020 Unprecedented Liz's Mum Episode: "#1.3"
Housebound Jane Episode: "#1.12"
Life Gail Reynolds Mini-series, 6 episodes
Pandemonium Sue Jessop BBC One comedy (pilot episode of Here We Go)[22]
2022 Rules of the Game Anita Jenkins Mini-series, 4 episodes[23]
2022–2023 Here We Go Sue Jessop 8 episodes (including pilot and 2023 Christmas Special)[22]
2023 Alison & Larry: Billericay to Barry Herself Gold celebrity travel show[24]

Awards and nominations

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Year Work Award Category Result
1987 The Singing Detective BAFTA TV Award Best Actress Nominated
1991 Life Is Sweet Taormina International Film Festival Golden Mask Won
1992 Life Is Sweet National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress Won
1993 The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Olivier Award Best Actress Won
1996 Pride and Prejudice CableACE Award Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries Nominated
1998 The Memory of Water Olivier Award Best Actress Nominated
2001 Fat Friends BAFTA TV Award Best Actress Nominated
2016 N/A British Independent Film Award Richard Harris Award Won

References

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  1. ^ "The Stage Talk". The Stage. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Alison Steadman" Liverpool John Moores University Honorary Fellowship Award speech July 2010 Archived 16 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 June 2011
  3. ^ "Alison Steadman Biography (1946–)". www.filmreference.com.
  4. ^ Michael Coveney, The World according to Mike Leigh, p.90
  5. ^ "Theatre review: The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at New Ambassadors". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Review: Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward, Theatre Royal Bath". Wiltshire Times. 12 November 2010. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  7. ^ Billington, Michael (10 March 2011). "Blithe Spirit – review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Theatre Royal Bath – Main House". Theatre Royal Bath. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  9. ^ Cavendish, Dominic (8 August 2014). "Thérèse Raquin, Theatre Royal Bath, review: 'rudimentary'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022.
  10. ^ Craig, David (10 May 2024). "Gavin & Stacey icon confirms return for final ever episode - but hasn't 'seen the script'". Radio Times.
  11. ^ Weaver, Matthew (3 May 2024). "Gavin and Stacey to return for last-ever episode on Christmas Day, BBC confirms". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  12. ^ White, Lesley (30 November 2008). "Alison Steadman: Britain's lady in waiting". The Times. Archived from the original on 4 November 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  13. ^ Kelly, Steve (15 August 2014). "Who are the stars of Boomers? Veteran stars line up for new BBC comedy". The Mirror. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  14. ^ "My Mad Grandad", BBC, 28 December 2009
  15. ^ Coveney, p. 90
  16. ^ Michael Coveney, p. 18
  17. ^ "Profile: Mike Leigh". The Guardian. 19 October 2002. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  18. ^ Steadman, Alison. "The Alison Steadman Page". Pandp2.home.comcast.net. Archived from the original on 16 July 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  19. ^ Woods, Judith (23 October 2016). "Alison Steadman: How my mum was mistreated by the NHS". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  20. ^ Kellaway, Kate (22 November 2009). "'To a birdwatcher, one glimpse, one moment is happiness enough'". The Observer. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  21. ^ "Actress Alison Steadman is standing up for London's wildlife as our latest ambassador". www.wildlondon.org.uk.
  22. ^ a b "Here We Go: Meet the cast of the new BBC comedy series". BBC Media Centre. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  23. ^ "Rules Of The Game". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  24. ^ Harrison, Phil; Seale, Jack; Verdier, Hannah (14 August 2023). "TV tonight: old friends from Gavin & Stacey take a ride from Billericay to Barry". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
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