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Alison Steadman has spoken about Gavin & Stacey in a new interview, saying she "doubts" we'll be getting another episode. Hopefully she'll be proven wrong at some point in the near future, but in the meantime, we're celebrating 10 things we appreciate about this always entertaining actress.
1. She plays Pam in Gavin & Stacey.
We love James Corden and Ruth Jones' bighearted sitcom, and we love Steadman's performance as Essex matriarch Pam Shipman. She's always there to support her "little Prince" Gavin. She says "oh my Christ" a lot. And she pretends to be a vegetarian when she's actually scoffing ham whenever she thinks no one's watching. Pam could easily take the lead in a spinoff series. 

2. She starred in the iconic British television play Abigail's Party.
Directed by Mike Leigh, Steadman's first husband, Abigail's Party started out as a stage play at London's Hampstead Theatre before being recorded for a BBC broadcast in 1977. Steadman plays Beverly Moss, an overbearing and pretentious suburban woman who dominates her guests at an awkward drinks party.
Abigail's Party is regularly hailed as a classic British social satire and Steadman's performance is perfectly cringe-inducing. Writing about Abigail's Party for The Guardian on its 40th anniversary, Leigh said of Beverly: "While she may be perceived as monstrous, she is in fact vulnerable, insecure, and sad."

3. She and Leigh became frequent collaborators.
Steadman appeared in many of Leigh's other film and TV projects, including 1990's award-winning comedy movie Life Is Sweet. The couple divorced in 2001, but remain on good terms, as you'll see in this clip of a  2017 panel event at the British Film Institute celebrating Life Is Sweet.

4. She's game for a laugh.
In December 2020, Steadman hosted a Gavin & Stacey-themed Zoom quiz in aid of Marie Curie, a British charity that helps people with terminal illnesses. She dropped in a few Pam impressions along the way. 

5. She appeared in BBC America's Orphan Black.
Steadman had a recurring role in season three and four as Kendall Malone, a person integral to the cloning projects at the heart of the sci-fi series because she possesses both male and female DNA. Sadly, Kendall meets a rather grisly end in her final episode. 

6. She starred in the classic Pride and Prejudice miniseries starring Colin Firth.
It has to be said that Steadman is perfectly cast as Mrs. Bennet, the well-meaning but slightly hysterical mother of the story's heroine Elizabeth Bennet (Jennifer Ehle). It's a role that adds light relief to Jane Austen's classic romantic story, something Steadman excels at.

6. She's down-to-earth.
Steadman lives in Highgate, north London, and often uses the tube to get about. Over the years loads of fans have shared their sightings of Steadman just minding her own business as she rides he London Underground. One fan tweeted on May 14: "Just saw Alison Steadman on the tube. This is officially the most exciting thing that will happen to me today."
7. She's loved and respected by her co-stars.
You can tell a lot about someone from what their co-workers say, and in a 2020 profile for The Guardian, some of Steadman's collaborators shared glowing tributes. "Alison is always first and foremost a human being," Corden told the publication. "Her lack of starriness or seeking status makes her so approachable." Meanwhile, her co-star in the recent sitcom Hold the Sunset, John Cleese, praised Steadman's "great technical skill, playful and affectionate nature" as well as her "constant, cheerful unflappability and complete absence of ego."
8. Gavin & Stacey isn't her only binge-worthy sitcom.
If you appreciate Steadman's comedy timing, you might like to check out the BBC sitcom Boomers, which ran from 2014-2016. As its title suggests, it follows a group of Brits who are getting used to their retirement years, and has a great cast that includes Stephanie Beacham and the late June Whitfield. You can check it out over on Acorn TV.

10. And finally, she can be a little bit cheeky sometimes.
In this interview with Gavin & Stacey co-star Rob Brydon, Steadman shows her playful side by talking about how much she enjoyed filming a scene with some buff rugby players. 

Do you have a favorite Alison Steadman role?