Alison Steadman

Alison Steadman (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 Laurence 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.

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). 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 Here We Go (2022–present). Her other film appearances include Clockwise (1986), Blame It on the Bellboy (1992), Confetti (2006), Burn Burn Burn (2015) and Better Man (2024).

Early life and education Steadman was born in Liverpool, the youngest of three sisters born to Marjorie (née Evans) (1912–1996) and George Percival Steadman (1912–1991), 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.

Career

Stage work 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. 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. In 2010 Steadman played Madame Arcati in a revival of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit. In 2014 Steadman appeared as Madame Raquin in Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Emile Zola's Thérèse Raquin.

Film 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 Steadman is credited with sharing the first lesbian kiss on British television with Myra Frances. Broadcast on 25 February 1974, Girl is the story of the love affair of two WRAC soldiers. "When I was first offered the part I felt quite nervous," she said and was relieved that her "mum said it was great and was very moved by it."

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.

Television productions directed by Leigh in which she has appeared in the 1970s 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.

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.

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. She appeared in Lewis as the Reverend Martha Steadman in "Intelligent Design" in 2013.

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. 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 BBC One with John Cleese in Hold the Sunset. On 9 December 2018 Steadman appeared in the BBC One drama Care in the role of Mary. Also in 2018 she featured in ITV1 mini-series Butterfly, where she played Maxine Duffy’s grandmother.

Radio 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 Wises scriptwriter) in 13 episodes of the radio comedy The Show with No Name, written by Braben. 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. 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 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". They married in 1973 and had two sons. The couple lived with their sons in Wood Green, London. They separated in 1995 and divorced in 2001.

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

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

Filmography Film

Television 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 episodes1974 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 episodes1976 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 episodes1986 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 episodes1995 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 episodes1996 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 episodes2005 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 Main role; 22 episodes2012 Playhouse Presents Tina Episode: "King of the Teds" Inspector George Gently Esther Dunwoody Episode: "The Lost Child" Little Crackers Alison's MumMrs. 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 episodes2014 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 episodes2016 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 regular2018 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) 2022 Rules of the Game Anita Jenkins Mini-series, 4 episodes 2022–present Here We Go Sue Jessop 8 episodes (including pilot and 2023 Christmas Special)

Awards and nominations

Year Work Awards Category Result 1987 The Singing Detective BAFTA TV Awards Best Actress 1991 Life Is Sweet Taormina International Film Festival Awards Golden Mask 1992 Life Is Sweet National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress 1993 The Rise and Fall of Little Voice Olivier Awards Best Actress 1996 Pride and Prejudice CableACE Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries 1998 The Memory of Water Olivier Awards Best Actress 2001 Fat Friends BAFTA TV Awards Best Actress 2016 N/A British Independent Film Awards Richard Harris Award 2025 Better Man AACTA International Awards Best Supporting Actress