Alison Steadman

{{short description|British actress (born 1946)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}

{{Use British English|date=November 2012}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Alison Steadman

| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}}

| image = You'll Have Had Your Tea - Alison Steadman.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Steadman during a recording of You'll Have Had Your Tea for BBC Radio 4 in 2006

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|8|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Liverpool, England

| occupation = Actress

| alma_mater = East 15 Acting School

| years_active = 1968–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Mike Leigh|1973|2001|end=divorced}}

| partner = Michael Elwyn

| children = 2

| module = {{Listen| embed=yes |filename = Alison Steadman voice.ogg |title =Steadman's voice |type = speech |description = recorded 2012, as part of an audio description of the pelicans in St James's Park for VocalEyes }}

}}

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 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/stagetalk/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6767 |work=The Stage |title=The Stage Talk |access-date=17 September 2014}}

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).[http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/Graduation/114806.htm "Alison Steadman" Liverpool John Moores University Honorary Fellowship Award speech July 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016014259/http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/Graduation/114806.htm |date=16 October 2011 }}. Retrieved 7 June 2011 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),{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/9/Alison-Steadman.html|title=Alison Steadman Biography (1946–)|website=www.filmreference.com}} 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.Michael Coveney, The World according to Mike Leigh, p.90

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. {{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Theatre review: The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at New Ambassadors |url=https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/womanwhocooked-rev |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=British Theatre Guide |language=en-GB}} In 2010 Steadman played Madame Arcati in a revival of Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit.{{Cite web |date=2010-11-12 |title=Review: Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward, Theatre Royal Bath |url=https://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/leisure/wtimesleisuretheatre/8633441.review-blithe-spirit-by-noel-coward-theatre-royal-bath/ |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=Wiltshire Times |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Billington |first=Michael |date=2011-03-10 |title=Blithe Spirit – review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2011/mar/10/bilthe-spirit-review |access-date=2024-03-27 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} In 2014 Steadman appeared as Madame Raquin in Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Emile Zola's Thérèse Raquin.{{cite web|url=http://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/page/3028/Thercse+Raquin/858|title=Theatre Royal Bath – Main House|website=Theatre Royal Bath|access-date=30 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223213853/http://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/page/3028/Thercse+Raquin/858|archive-date=23 February 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/11022025/Therese-Raquin-Theatre-Royal-Bath-review-rudimentary.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/11022025/Therese-Raquin-Theatre-Royal-Bath-review-rudimentary.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Thérèse Raquin, Theatre Royal Bath, review: 'rudimentary'|first=Dominic|last=Cavendish|date=8 August 2014|work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}

=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.”{{Cite book |last=Rennison |first=Nick |title=1974: Scenes from a Year of Crisis |date=2022 |publisher=Oldcastle Books, Limited |isbn=978-0-85730-582-4 |edition=1st |location=London |pages=52–53}}

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.

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.

Television productions directed by Leigh in which she has appeared 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.

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.{{cite web |last=Craig |first=David|title=Gavin & Stacey icon confirms return for final ever episode - but hasn't 'seen the script{{'-}} |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/gavin-stacey-finale-alison-steadman-confirmed-newsupdate/ |website=Radio Times |date=10 May 2024}}{{cite web |last=Weaver |first=Matthew |title=Gavin and Stacey to return for last-ever episode on Christmas Day, BBC confirms |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/article/2024/may/03/gavin-and-stacey-return-last-ever-episode-christmas-day-bbc |website=The Guardian |access-date=4 November 2024 |date=3 May 2024}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Steve |date=2014-08-15 |title=Who are the stars of Boomers? Veteran stars line up for new BBC comedy |url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/who-stars-boomers-veteran-stars-4054666 |access-date=2024-03-27 |website=The Mirror}} 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 BBC1 with John Cleese in Hold the Sunset. On 9 December 2018 Steadman appeared in the BBC1 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 Wise{{'}}s scriptwriter) in 13 episodes of the radio comedy The Show with No Name, written by Braben, which can best be described as an updated version of the comedy sketch show Round the Horne. 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.[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pflyb "My Mad Grandad"], BBC, 28 December 2009 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".Coveney, p. 90 They married in 1973 and had two sons.Michael Coveney, p. 18 The couple lived with their sons in Wood Green, London.{{Cite web|date=2002-10-19|title=Profile: Mike Leigh|url=http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2002/oct/19/rsc.artsfeatures|access-date=2021-11-12|website=The Guardian|language=en}} They separated in 1995 and divorced in 2001.

Steadman's partner is actor Michael Elwyn.{{cite web|author=Steadman, Alison |url=http://pandp2.home.comcast.net/pandp2cast/steadman.html |title=The Alison Steadman Page |publisher=Pandp2.home.comcast.net |access-date=23 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716130406/http://pandp2.home.comcast.net/pandp2cast/steadman.html |archive-date=16 July 2007 }} The couple live in Highgate, London.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/alison-steadman-how-my-mum-was-mistreated-by-the-nhs/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/alison-steadman-how-my-mum-was-mistreated-by-the-nhs/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Alison Steadman: How my mum was mistreated by the NHS|last=Woods|first=Judith|date=23 October 2016|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=27 October 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}

She is a birdwatcher{{cite news |last1=Kellaway |first1=Kate |title='To a birdwatcher, one glimpse, one moment is happiness enough' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/nov/22/birdwatching-popularity-kate-kellaway |access-date=27 May 2020 |work=The Observer |date=22 November 2009}} and in November 2016 became an ambassador for London Wildlife Trust.{{cite web|url=http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/news/2016/11/09/actress-alison-steadman-standing-london%E2%80%99s-wildlife-our-latest-ambassador|title=Actress Alison Steadman is standing up for London's wildlife as our latest ambassador|website=www.wildlondon.org.uk}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1975

| Nuts in May

| Candice Marie

| TV film

1977

| Abigail's Party

| Beverly

| TV film

1980

| Moving Pictures

| Mrs. Arnolfini

| TV film

1982

| P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang

| Miss Land

| TV film

1983

| Tartuffe, or the Impostor

| Elmire

| TV film

rowspan="3"|1984

| Champions

| Mary Hussey

|

A Private Function

| Mrs. Allardyce

|

Number One

| Doreen

| TV film

1985

| The Caucasian Chalk Circle

| Kato / Natella / Aniko

| TV film

1985

|Coming Through

|Kate

|TV film

1986

| Clockwise

| Gwenda Stimpson

|

rowspan="2"|1987

| The Finding

| Mum

| TV film

The Short & Curlies

| Betty

| TV short film

rowspan="3"|1988

| Coming Through

| Kate

| TV film

Stormy Monday

| Mayor

|

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

| Daisy

|

rowspan="2"|1989

| Shirley Valentine

| Jane

|

Wilt

| Eva Wilt

|

1990

| Life Is Sweet

| Wendy

|

1992

| Blame It on the Bellboy

| Rosemary Horton

|

1994

| Degas and Pissaro Fall Out

| Emma Dumay

| Short film

rowspan="2"|1996

| Secrets & Lies

| Dog Owner

|

The Snow Queen's Revenge

| Pearl

| Voice role

rowspan="2"|1997

| The Missing Postman

| Christine Peacock

| TV film

The Ugly Duckling

| The Hen

| Voice role

1998

| Queen's Park Story

| The Squirrel

| TV short film. Voice role

rowspan="2"|1999

| Topsy-Turvy

| Madame Leon

|

Santa's Last Christmas

| The Sorceress

| TV film. Voice role

rowspan="4"|2001

| Chunky Monkey

| Beryl

|

Happy Now?

| Bronwyn Race

Bob the Builder: A Christmas to Remember

| Bunty Ferguson (The Mayoress)

| Video. Voice role (UK dub)

Ivor the Invisible

| Auntie Barbara

| TV film. Voice role

2002

| D.I.Y. Hard

| Woman

| Short film

rowspan="2"|2003

| Philip Larkin: Love and Death in Hull

| Narrator

| Voice role

Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairytale

| Mrs. Meisling

| TV film

rowspan="2"|2004

| Bosom Pals

| Joan

| TV film. Voice role

The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

| Casting Agent

|

rowspan="2"|2005

| Bob the Builder: Bob's Big Plan

| Bunty Ferguson (The Mayoress)

| TV film. Voice role (UK dub)

The Housewife

| Narration / The Housewife

| Short film

rowspan="3"|2006

| Confetti

| Sam's Mum

|

Dead Rich

| Maggie

| Short film

Loony in the Woods

| Crazy Butcher

|

rowspan="2"|2007

| The Dinner Party

| Juliet

| TV film

Who Gets the Dog?

| Jenny Evans

| TV film

2009

| Second Chance

| Billie Shackleton

| Short film

2010

| Come Rain Come Shine

| Dora Mitchell

| TV film

rowspan="3"|2012

| A Civil Arrangement

| Isobel

| TV film

The Day My Nan Died

| Jean

| Short film

Notes

| Allison

| Short film

2014

| Peterman

| Auntie Jean

|

2015

| Burn Burn Burn

| Diana

|

2016

| Dad's Army

| Mrs. Fox

|

rowspan="3"|2017

| French Exchange

| Mrs. Phillips

| Short film

We Can Be Heroes

| Granny Evans

|

Yours Faithfully Edna Welthorpe (Mrs)

| Edna Welthorpe

| Short film

rowspan="4"|2018

| Bertie

| Ann

| Short film

Ghosted

| Alison

| Short film

Care

| Mary

| TV film

Three Sacks Full of Hats

| Mum

| Short film

2019

| Off Grid

| Grace Tanner

| Short film

rowspan="2"|2020

| 23 Walks

| Fern

|

Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse

| Dora

| TV film

2021

| The King's Man

| Rita

|

2024

| Better Man

| Betty

|

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | 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 episodes

rowspan="2"|1974

| Crown Court

| Mary Chatham

| 3 episodes: "Good and Faithful Friends: Parts 1–3"

rowspan="2"|Second City Firsts

| Jackie

| Episode: "Girl"

rowspan="4"|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 episodes

rowspan="2"|1976

| 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 episodes

rowspan="2"|1986

| The Singing Detective

| Mrs. Lili Marlow

| Mini-series, 5 episodes

In Sickness and in Health

| Mother

| Episode: "Christmas Special"

rowspan="3"|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"

rowspan="2"|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 episodes

rowspan="3"|1995

| 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 episodes

rowspan="3"|1996

| 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"

rowspan="2"|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 episodes

rowspan="2"|2005

| 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"

rowspan="4"|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 episodes

rowspan="3"|2012

| Playhouse Presents

| Tina

| Episode: "King of the Teds"

Inspector George Gently

| Esther Dunwoody

| Episode: "The Lost Child"

Little Crackers

| Alison's Mum
Mrs. O'Grady

| Episode: "Alison Steadmans Little Cracker: The Autograph"
Episode: "Paul O'Grady's Little Cracker: Boo! A Ghost Story"

rowspan="3"|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 episodes

rowspan="3"|2014

| 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 episodes

rowspan="3"|2016

| Midsomer Murders

| Abigail Tonev

| Episode: "The Incident at Cooper Hill"

Yonderland

| Barbara Maddox

| Episode: "It's the Thought That Counts"

rowspan="2"|Comedy Playhouse

| Brenda

| Episode: "Broken Biscuits"

rowspan="2"|2017

| Cath

| Episode: "Static"

We Have Been Watching

| Narrator

| Series regular

rowspan="3"|2018

| 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"

rowspan="4"|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){{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/here-we-go|title=Here We Go: Meet the cast of the new BBC comedy series|website=BBC Media Centre|date=19 April 2022|access-date=4 November 2024}}

2022

| Rules of the Game

| Anita Jenkins

| Mini-series, 4 episodes{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0b8zxn6|title=Rules Of The Game|website=bbc.co.uk|access-date=3 January 2022}}

2022–present

| Here We Go

| Sue Jessop

| 8 episodes (including pilot and 2023 Christmas Special)

rowspan="2"|2023

| Alison & Larry: Billericay to Barry

| Herself

| Gold celebrity travel show{{cite news |title=TV tonight: old friends from Gavin & Stacey take a ride from Billericay to Barry |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/aug/14/tv-tonight-old-friends-from-gavin-stacey-take-a-ride-from-billericay-to-barry |website=The Guardian |date=14 August 2023 |access-date=14 August 2023 |last1=Harrison |first1=Phil |last2=Seale |first2=Jack |last3=Verdier |first3=Hannah }}

Awards and nominations

class="wikitable"

! Year

! Work

! Awards

! Category

! Result

1987

| The Singing Detective

| BAFTA TV Awards

| Best Actress

| {{nom}}

1991

| Life Is Sweet

| Taormina International Film Festival Awards

| Golden Mask

| {{win}}

1992

| Life Is Sweet

| National Society of Film Critics Awards

| Best Actress

| {{win}}

1993

| The Rise and Fall of Little Voice

| Olivier Awards

| Best Actress

| {{win}}

1996

| Pride and Prejudice

| CableACE Awards

| Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries

| {{nom}}

1998

| The Memory of Water

| Olivier Awards

| Best Actress

| {{nom}}

2001

| Fat Friends

| BAFTA TV Awards

| Best Actress

| {{nom}}

2016

| N/A

| British Independent Film Awards

| Richard Harris Award

| {{win}}

2025

| Better Man

| AACTA International Awards

| Best Supporting Actress

| {{nom}}

References

{{reflist}}