Alison Steadman
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
This blonde British character actress is perhaps best known to American audiences for her performances in two highly-praised British TV series. Steadman was the wife of Michael Gambon's "The Singing Detective" (1986) and portrayed the excitable Mrs. Bennett in "Pride and Prejudice" (1995).
A native of Liverpool, Steadman trained at the East 15 Acting School and made her stage debut alongside Vanessa Redgrave in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" (1969). She went on to appear occasionally on the British stage, earning her best notices for then-husband Mike Leigh's "Abigail's Party" in 1977. (She reprised the role in a British TV production.) On the big screen, she was first seen in John Irvin's "Champions" (1984), a biopic of British jockey Bob Champion (John Hurt), played the mayor in Mike Figgis' moody "Stormy Monday" (1988) and was the heroine's fickle traveling companion in "Shirley Valentine" (1989). Her best screen role to date was as the wife and mother struggling to hold her family together in Leigh's comedy "Life Is Sweet" (1991), which earned her the National Society of Film Critics Best Actress Award.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (Short)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1969
Stage debut, "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln, UK
1973
London stage debut, "Wholesome Glory"
1973
British TV debut, "Hard Labour"
1977
Acclaimed for her performance in the British stage and TV productions of "Abigail's Party", written and directed by Mike Leigh
1983
Film debut, "Champions"
1988
Played the wife of Michael Gambon in the acclaimed British TV series, "The Singing Detective", written by Dennis Potter
1995
Played Mrs. Bennett in the highly-praised BBC adapation of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"
2001
Starred in London stage revival of Joe Orton's "Entertaining Mr. Sloane"
2004
Cast in the HBO movie "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" starring Geoffrey Rush
2006
Cast as part of an ensemble in the UK comedy, "Confetti"
Family
Companions
