Alison Steadman

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