ALISON STEADMAN TELLS OK! SHE DOESN’T PLAN ON RETIRING UNTIL SHE’S 105!
ALISON STEADMAN TELLS ok!’s KIRSTY HATCHER HOW EXCITED SHE WAS TO REUNITE WITH THE WHOLE CAST, HER SOCIAL MEDIA BLACKOUT AND WHY SHE’S NOT STOPPING WORK ANYTIME SOON!
Christmas Day means presents, turkey and all the trimmings. But for many of us this year, it will also mean putting our feet up to tune into the Christmas special of Gavin & Stacey.
Fans rejoiced when it was announced that the beloved BBC show was returning after a ten-year hiatus. But one person who was convinced it would never happen was actress Alison Steadman, who plays the legendary Pam Shipman.
‘I was totally convinced! Ruth [Jones] has been writing Stella and a novel and James [Corden] is in America and is this big star! I thought, how are they going to sit down and write Gavin & Stacey?’ she excitedly tells OK! ‘Then I suddenly got a message from Ruth saying: “If this were to happen, would you be up for it?” I nearly dropped the phone!’ laughs Alison, who is mum to Leo, 38, and Toby, 41, with her former husband, director Mike Leigh.
Here, Alison, 73, who has been with her partner Michael Elwyn for 24 years, exclusively tells OK! whether or not another series is on the cards, tackling equal pay issues and meeting royalty…
What was it like to be reunited with the cast of Gavin & Stacey?
It was brilliant. It was so good to be back on Barry Island! I really was quite nervous about it because expectations are so high. I thought, Can I do it again? Can I get the character back properly? But as soon as
we were all back together it was just like a family reunion. At the end we were all really sad to say goodbye. I’m not like Pam at all but I love playing her. People send me pictures of Pam saying: ‘Oh My Christ!’ and ‘Oh my Christmas!’ My sons love Gavin & Stacey.
Do you feel motherly towards your on-screen son Mathew Horne?
He’s so sweet. I’ve been working really hard filming [BBC drama] Life In Manchester and he knows I’ve been under a lot of pressure. A few weeks ago he messaged me on Whatsapp and said: ‘How are you doing? Are you surviving?’
Has James Corden changed?
He’s exactly the same. If you blinked an eye, he’s just back. It was lovely to see him as he has three beautiful children now [sons Carey and Max and daughter Charlotte] and a lovely wife [Julia Carey].
Could there be another series of
Gavin & Stacey?
I have absolutely no idea. I would love it if there was, even another special or anything. But when you’re as busy as James Corden is…!? James actually used his holidays to come over to film last summer. So we don’t know, but never say never. Everyone seems to have clicked back together again.
Do you insist on equal pay with your male co-stars?
We don’t discuss pay because it can create such problems. My agents deal with that and I say yes or no. There is no way I would go up to my fellow actors and say: ‘How much are you getting paid?’ It spells disaster. We’re all on different levels of experience.
Have you ever had a #Metoo moment?
I did experience a few things in the past but it’s never been too horrible. We should all have respect whoever we are but I have noticed a difference with the respect men now give to women.
Do you think you’ll ever retire?
No, dear! I won’t retire until I’m 105. I might take a week off then!
Have you ever considered using social media?
What does that mean? Twitter? Twittering? No. People may say horrible things and that might make me cry so I don’t want that!
Tell us about your involvement with Marie Curie’s new campaign to get the nation talking about death…
I’m an ambassador for Marie Curie; they’re such a wonderful organisation with nine hospices across the UK. It’s scary when someone is diagnosed with a terminal illness, but Marie Curie have moved things a step further. They’re saying it’s good to talk about death with your loved ones, ask people how they’re feeling and talk about what plans have been made. They have also made these ‘Talk About’ cards which can help you get the difficult conversation started.
Your mum was cared for in a Marie Curie hospice after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer so this cause must be very close to you?
Marie Curie provide not just medical care, but someone to talk to and explain things. To have kind people around my mum, who had the time to talk, was so important as it’s a frightening process. The NHS cannot cope and nurses are rushed off their feet. I went back to my mother’s hospice in Liverpool this summer and a couple of nurses told me they had looked after her, and that was 24 years ago. Prince Charles also visited earlier this year. We spoke about how they cared for my mother and what a wonderful organisation it is. ALISON IS SUPPORTING MARIE CURIE’S CAMPAIGN TO HELP YOU THINK, TALK AND PLAN FOR END OF LIFE. IT’S NEVER TOO SOON, UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE. VISIT WWW.MARIECURIE.ORG.UK/ TALKABOUT TO FIND IDEAS TO HELP YOU GET STARTED.