Alison Steadman

Alison Steadman, born in '46 up in Liverpool, basically grew up with drama in her bones. Her parents, George and Marjorie, probably had no clue what was coming when she started at Childwall Valley High, then plowed through East-15 Acting School in the late '60s. Before all the stage lights and applause, she was just another secretary working at the Liverpool Probation Service—imagine her behind a desk, probably itching to get out and onto a stage. That itch didn’t last long. She debuted in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” back in ’68, and then, boom—Ophelia in “Hamlet.” Not too shabby as an opener. The real magic started when she crossed paths with Mike Leigh, that absolute powerhouse of British theater. She jumped into his plays, “The Jaws of Death” and “Wholesome Glory,” and by ’73 she was making noise in London. “Abigail’s Party” in ‘77? She straight-up owned it, snagging the London Evening Standard Theatre Award. Then she did it all over again on TV, with her husband directing, no less. Fast forward, and Steadman’s all over the place—winning an Olivier for “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice” in ‘92, spinning heads in “The Memory of Water,” tearing up stages in Orton’s “Entertaining Mr. Sloane” and the wild ride that was “The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband.” She’s never just played it safe. On screen, she’s maybe popped up less often, but when she does, she leaves a mark. “A Private Function,” “Clockwise,” “Baron Munchausen,” “Shirley Valentine”—she nails the supporting roles. And then there’s the Mike Leigh films: “Life Is Sweet” (critics loved her), “Secrets & Lies,” “Topsy-Turvy.” Sure, she and Leigh split in 2001, but her work kept rolling. TV fans know her from “The Singing Detective” and “Pride and Prejudice.” Honestly, there’s just no boxing her in.