Alison Steadman

Biography

Alison Steadman, born on 26 August 1946, is a renowned English actress celebrated for her significant contributions to film and television. She received the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in 1991 for her performance in Mike Leigh's film *Life is Sweet*, and in 1993, she won the Olivier Award for Best Actress for her acclaimed role as Mari in the original production of *The Rise and Fall of Little Voice*. Notably, in a 2007 Channel 4 poll conducted among peers, she was recognized as the 42nd greatest actor.

Steadman launched her professional stage career in 1968 and quickly became a fixture in Mike Leigh's iconic 1970s television works, notably *Nuts in May* (1976) and *Abigail's Party* (1977). Her talent earned her BAFTA TV Award nominations for the BBC's *The Singing Detective* in 1986 and the ITV series *Fat Friends* from 2000 to 2005. Her television credits also include memorable roles in *Pride and Prejudice* (1995), *Gavin & Stacey* (2007-2010, 2019), and *Orphan Black* (2015-2016). In film, her impressive body of work includes *A Private Function* (1984), *Clockwise* (1986), *Shirley Valentine* (1989), *Topsy Turvy* (1999), and *The Life and Death of Peter Sellers* (2004).