Alison Steadman Biography
Alison Steadman, OBE is an English actor. She is the recepient of the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh film Life is Sweet. She also won the 1993 Olivier Award for Best Actress for her role as Mari in 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 No. 42. Steadman made her professional stage debut in 1968. Later on, she went to establish her career in Mike Leigh’s 1970s TV plays Nuts in May (1976) and Abigail’s Party (1977).
Having left the East 15 Acting School in Loughton, Essex, Alison Steadman worked in various regional repertory theatres. Her first role was that of the seductive schoolgirl Sandy in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She starred as Elmire in the 1983 RSC production of Molière’s Tartuffe.
The production was adapted for BBC television. In 2010, Steadman was cast as Madame Arcati in a revival of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit. Steadman has appeared in many films. Among them; Champions, A Private Function, Number One, Clockwise, Life Is Sweet among others.
Her television work includes Fat Friends as Betty, Grumpy Old Women, Stressed Eric, Let Them Eat Cake, The Singing Detective among others. In 1991, she also appeared as Edda Göring in Selling Hitler and as Lauren Patterson in Gone to the Dogs.
Alison Steadman Photo
From May 2007 to January 2010, Alison Steadman starred in the BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey as Pam Shipman. Steadman made a return to BBC1 in 2018 with John Cleese in Hold the Sunset. Towards the end of 2018 she appeared in the BBC1 Drama “Care” and played the role of Mary.
On radio, Steadman’s talent for mimicry and character voices was given full rein in shows such as Week Ending, Castle’s on the Air and The Worst Show on the Wireless. From 2002, she starred as Mrs Naughtie in the series Hamish and Dougal. Since 2012 she played “Ginny Fox”, a parody of Virginia Woolf, in the sitcom Gloomsbury.
Alison Steadman Age
Alison Steadman was born in Liverpool, England United Kingdom. She was born on 26th August 1946. Her current age is 72 years old as of 2018.
Alison Steadman Net Worth | Alison Steadman 2019
Alison Steadman has accumulated a huge fortune from her career as an actress. Steadman has portrayal a role in 1990 drama-comedy movie, Life Is Sweet. The movie has a very good IMDB rating of 7.5 out of 10. The movie was a big blockbuster at the time which had grossed over $1.5 million at the box office.
From May 2007 to January 2010, Steadman starred in the BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey as Pam Shipman. Steadman made a return to BBC1 in 2018 with John Cleese in Hold the Sunset. Towards the end of 2018 she appeared in the BBC1 Drama “Care” and played the role of Mary.
On radio, Steadman’s talent for mimicry and character voices was given full rein in shows such as Week Ending, Castle’s on the Air and The Worst Show on the Wireless. She earns a jaw-dropping of salary. Currently, as of 2019, Alison Steadman’s net worth is estimated to be around $12 million.
Alison Steadman Married | Alison Steadman Son
Alison Steadman is currently in a relationship with Welsh actor Michael Elwyn. It is not clear when the two started dating. She was however previously married. She was married to director Mike Leigh since 1973 until their divorce in 2001.
Alison and Leigh first met in Manchester in 1972. This was while the director, Mike was searching for a perfect match in his television film Hard Labour. During the preparation of the movie, Mike and Alison stood together and eventually started dating.
Though they separated in the year 1995, their divorce was finalized in the year 2001. Before they parted ways however, Alison Steadman and Leigh got two sons; Toby (born February 1978) and Leo (born August 1981).
Alison Steadman Tv Shows | Alison Steadman Gavin And Stacey
- 2020 The King’s Man (post-production)
- 2007-2019 Gavin & Stacey (TV Series)
- 2018-2019 Hold the Sunset (TV Series)
- 2018 Care (TV Movie)
- 2018 The Reluctant Landlord (TV Series)
- 2017 Yours Faithfully Edna Welthorpe, Mrs (Short)
- 2015-2016 Orphan Black (TV Series)
- 2016 Midsomer Murders (TV Series)
- 2014 The Great War: The People’s Story (TV Mini-Series documentary)
- 2013 Love & Marriage (TV Series)
- 2012 A Civil Arrangement (TV Movie)
- 2007 The Omid Djalili Show (TV Series)
- 2004-2005 The Lenny Henry Show (TV Series)
- 2000-2005 Fat Friends (TV Series)
- 2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
- 2003 Philip Larkin: Love and Death in Hull (TV Movie documentary)
- 2001 Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years (TV Series)
- 1986 In Sickness and in Health (TV Series)
- 1985 The Caucasian Chalk Circle (TV Movie)
Alison Steadman Interview
Q: What drew you to Hold the Sunset?
Alison Steadman: I love doing shows like this about the quirky aspects of family life. When I heard that John was doing it, I thought, “That will be great fun!” And I haven’t been disappointed. You couldn’t get a better cast: Jason, Anne, Rosie and Joanna are all brilliant.
Alison Steadman: I also love Charles’s writing. I acted opposite him in the film, the Adventures of Baron Munchausen, which he also co-wrote. It’s been great to see him again. He’s such a lovely guy. He’s quiet, modest and gentle, but also very talented.
Q: What are your memories of your first collaboration with John on the movie Clockwise?
Alison Steadman: That film was 32 years ago now, but we haven’t changed at all! In that movie, I spent a lot of time driving three elderly ladies around in a car. I’m now probably the same age as they were then!
Q: How does it feel to be back working with John?
Alison Steadman: It’s been lovely. Working with an old friend is great because it gives you such freedom. It helps that we were able to leap straight into it because we had played a married couple before. John is really good fun and off the wall.
Alison Steadman: You need to be disciplined on set. John is disciplined, but he’s not afraid to take it one step further if it helps the comedy. I hope people will enjoy the chemistry between John and me. We have a very easy relationship. Also, John fits the part very well; he told me that the more he plays Phil, the more he thinks it’s him!
Q: Could you please outline your character?
Alison Steadman: Edith is a bright woman. She is a typical middle-class mother. She is very concerned and very giving towards her children – much more than I would ever be! She really does forgive them. Like all mothers, when other people criticise her children, she is always ready to leap their defence and say: “That’s not their fault. That’s because of this or that.”
Q: How would you characterise Edith’s relationship with her children?
Alison Steadman: She has a highflying businesswoman daughter called Sandra who is too busy for a man. She also has Roger, a son who is completely off the wall. He has arrested development. He’s the kind of guy who is very hard to tolerate, but she always does. Roger and his wife Wendy are very well matched. They’re both off the wall! Much as you love your kids, you don’t want them coming back home as adults, reverting to childhood and playing with toy crocodiles!
Alison Steadman: Edith puts up with a heck of a lot. She wants to build a life with Phil, but Roger keeps getting in the way. If she could just sort out Roger, it would all be fine. But it’s never that simple, and in a sitcom, it would be boring if it were! Roger is constantly thwarting her and he’s getting worse all the time. He irritates the hell out of Phil. Sandra is always saying to Edith: “He’s getting you to do his washing now? For God’s sake, tell him where to go!” But that’s just what we do as mums!
Q: Would you like to make another series of Hold the Sunset?
Alison Steadman: Absolutely. Nothing is resolved in this family by the end of the first series. Roger and Sandra are still being a pain in the neck. So this one could run and run!
SOURCE: www.bbc.co.uk