Actor
· Acting
Alison Steadman
Born 1946-08-26
📍 Liverpool, England, UK
Alison Steadman (born 26 August 1946) is an English actor. She won the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for the Mike Leigh (her husband 1973-2001) 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 No. 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 (2000–05). Other television roles include Pride and Prejudice (1995), Gavin & Stacey (2007–10, 2019) and Orphan Black (2015–16). Her other film appearances include A Private Function (1984), Clockwise (1986), Shirley Valentine (1989), Topsy Turvy (1999), and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004).
Filmography 146
Joke
as Vet
2026
Here We Go: Our New Year’s Fireworks Fantasaganza
as Sue Jessop
2025
Stitch Head
as Nan (voice)
2025
Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell
as Self
2025
Better Man
as Betty
2024
The 1970s Dinner Party
as Self - Narrator (voice)
2023
Here We Go: Mum's Classic Family Christmas
as Sue Jessop
2023
Alison & Larry: Billericay To Barry
as Alison Steadman
2023
Wake
as Grace
2023
Queen and Country
as Narrator (voice)
2022
Remembers…
2022
Remembers…
as Self
2022
Here We Go
as Sue Jessop
2022
Rules of the Game
as Anita Jenkins
2022
The King's Man
as Rita
2021
Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig
as Self
2021
Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse
as Dora
2020
Life
as Gail Reynolds
2020
23 Walks
as Fern
2020
Gavin & Stacey: A Special Christmas
as Pam Shipman
2019
Off Grid
as Grace Tanner
2019
DNA Journey
2019
Care
as Mary
2018
Butterfly
as Barbara
2018
Hold the Sunset
as Edith
2018
Yours Faithfully, Edna Welthorpe (Mrs)
2017
Becky Watts Killed for Kicks
as Narrator
2017
We Can Be Heroes
as Granny Evans
2017
Burn Burn Burn
as Diana
2016
Let's Do It: A Tribute to Victoria Wood
as Self
2016
Dad's Army
as Mrs. Fox
2016
Peterman
as Auntie Jean
2015
Gareth's All Star Choir
as Self - Choir Member
2014
Boomers
as Joyce
2014
The Great War: The People's Story
as Hallie Eustace Miles
2014
Inside No. 9
as Anne
2014
Yonderland
as Barbara
2013
Orphan Black
as Kendall Malone
2013
Gadget Man
2012
Playhouse Presents
as Tina
2012
The Syndicate
as Rose Wilson
2012
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
as Self - Contestant
2012
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
as Self - Participant
2011
All Roads Lead Home
as Herself
2011
French Exchange
as Mrs. Phillips
2011
Come Rain Come Shine
as Dora Mitchell
2010
Little Crackers
as Alison's Mother
2010
Fry and Laurie Reunited
as Self - Narrator (voice)
2010
Caravans: A British Love Affair
as Narrator
2009
Who Gets the Dog
as Jenny Evans
2007
All About 'Abigail's Party'
as Self
2007
Fanny Hill
as Mrs. Brown
2007
Fanny Hill
as Mrs. Brown
2007
The Dinner Party
as Juliet
2007
The Man from Montevideo
as Karen Horner
2007
Gavin & Stacey
as Pam Shipman
2007
Lewis
as Rev. Martha Seager
2007
The 50 Greatest Television Dramas
as Self
2007
The One Show
as Self
2006
Loony in the Woods
as Crazy Butcher
2006
Confetti
as Sam's Mum
2006
Great British Menu
as Self - Guest Judge
2006
Twisted Tales
as Margery Faversham
2005
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
as Casting Agent
2004
The Worst Week of My Life
as Angela Cook
2004
Chunky Monkey
as Beryl
2003
D.I.Y. Hard
as Woman
2002
Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale
as Mrs. Meisling
2002
Bob the Builder: A Christmas to Remember - The Movie
as Mayoress Bunty Ferguson (voice)
2001
Happy Now
as Bronwyn Race
2001
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years
as Pauline Mole
2001
Fat Friends
as Betty Simpson
2000
Topsy-Turvy
as Madame Leon
1999
Jack and the Beanstalk
as Mother / Veronica
1999
Let Them Eat Cake
1999
Santa's Last Christmas
as Mrs Whatnot (voice)
1999
Stressed Eric
1998
The Ugly Duckling
as The Hen (voice)
1997
The Missing Postman
as Christine Peacock
1997
The Missing Postman
as Christine Peacock
1997
Midsomer Murders
as Abigail Tonev
1997
Secrets & Lies
as Woman with Dog
1996
No Bananas
as Evelyn Hamilton
1996
Karaoke
as Mrs Haynes
1996
Dalziel & Pascoe
as Marion Mattis
1996
The Snow Queen's Revenge
as Pearl
1996
Coogan's Run
1995
Crapston Villas
1995
Pride and Prejudice
as Mrs. Bennet
1995
Kavanagh Q.C.
as Evelyn Marie Kendall
1995
Gotta Get Out
as Maggie
1995
The Wimbledon Poisoner
as Elinor Farr
1994
Do You Remember the First Time?
1994
Degas and Pissario Fall Out
as Emma Dumay
1994
Selling Hitler
as Edda Goering
1993
GMTV
as Self
1993
Gone to Seed
as Hilda Plant
1992
Blame It on the Bellboy
as Rosemary Horton
1992
Gone to the Dogs
as Lauren Patterson
1991
Selling Hitler
as Edda Goering
1991
Life Is Sweet
as Wendy
1991
News Hounds
as Jackie Johns
1990
A Small Mourning
as Marjorie
1989
Shirley Valentine
as Jane
1989
Wilt
as Eva
1989
The Jim Henson Hour
as Perriwinkle
1989
Virtuoso
as Brenda
1989
Monster Maker
as Perriwinkle
1989
7 Deadly Sins: Stage Acting
as Janista Maine
1989
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
as Daisy
1988
Countryfile
as Self
1988
Stormy Monday
as Mayor
1988
The Short & Curlies
as Betty
1987
The Singing Detective
as Mrs Marlow
1986
The Singing Detective
as Mrs Marlow / Lili
1986
Clockwise
as Gwenda Stimpson
1986
Coming Through
as Kate
1985
Number One
as Doreen
1985
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
as Kato/Natella/Aniko
1985
A Private Function
as Mrs. Allardyce
1984
Champions
as Mary Hussey
1984
Tartuffe, or The Imposter
as Elmire
1983
P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang
as Miss Land
1982
Mike Leigh: Making Plays
as Self
1982
The Muscle Market
as Susan
1981
Pasmore
as Kay Pasmore
1980
Abigail's Party
as Beverley
1977
Our Flesh and Blood
as Jan Blincoe
1977
Bag of Yeast
as Margaret Hudson
1976
Nuts in May
as Candice Marie
1976
Through the Night
as Christine Potts
1975
Oil Strike North
1975
Early to Bed
as Helen
1975
The Wackers
as Bernadette Clarkson
1975
Taking Leave
as Nonie
1974
Girl
as Jackie
1974
Hard Labour
as Veronica Thornley
1973
Crown Court
1972
Play for Today
as Nonie
1970
Play for Today
as Veronica
1970
Play for Today
as Jan Blincoe
1970
Play for Today
as Kay Pasmore
1970
Play for Today
as Susan
1970
ITV Playhouse
as Norma Hardy
1967
The BAFTA Awards
as Self
1949
King of the Teds
as Tina