Alison Newman

Alison Newman
Born 25 January 1968
Bournemouth, United Kingdom

Alison Newman (born 25 January 1968) is a British actress, best known for her role in the hit ITV1 television series Footballers' Wives as Hazel Bailey, and as DI Samantha Keeble in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Biography

Alison Newman was born in Bournemouth, Hampshire (now Dorset) to David and Jenny Newman.[1] She has one sister called Sarah. Both her parents were school teachers who encouraged her to take up acting as a hobby, but discouraged her from attending stage school when she was younger, a decision she subsequently agreed was probably sensible. Instead she joined the National Youth Theatre when she was 16.[2] Her father died in October 2002, while she was filming the second series of Footballers' Wives. The producers allowed her to take time off from filming some of her last scenes in the series finale so she could be with her family.[3]

Despite studying drama at the University of Manchester Alison Newman did not work as an actress for almost ten years after graduating. She says that she hated the experience of being at drama school and lost her confidence.[3] During this time, she worked in a variety of professions, including publishing, catering, barwork and spent a number of years working in the music industry.[2]

She returned to acting when she was almost 30 after being offered a part in a play written by Anthony Neilson, with whom she had previously worked as an assistant director.[2] This was followed by a role playing a psychotic serial killer in Touching Evil III (1999) with Robson Green (who she would later appear with in RocketMan), and the film Butterfly Collectors (1999), alongside Pete Postlethwaite.

Footballers Wives

In 2002, Newman was cast in the role of ruthless lesbian football agent, and later club chair, Hazel Bailey in Footballers Wives. Newman was allegedly awarded the role on the strength of a two-episode guest appearance in the series Bad Girls, in which she played Renee Williams who set out to secure revenge on nemesis Top Dog Yvonne Atkins (Linda Henry).[4] Both programmes were made by Shed Productions. The part of Hazel Bailey required Newman to have her naturally blonde hair dyed red. Newman left the show at the end of series 4, when her character decided to return to sports representation, after becoming romantically involved with a professional tennis player. During the filming of Footballers Wives, she struck up a friendship with co-star Zöe Lucker, who played superbitch Tanya Turner.[4]

Other work

After Footballers Wives, Newman played Diane Scott in Rocket Man for BBC One in the autumn of 2005. In 2008, she appeared as Lynette Hopkins in Rock Rivals,<ref name=Cast List for 'Rock Rivals'>"DigiGuide: Rock Rivals Cast List". Retrieved 2013-07-10.</ref> another Shed Productions drama for ITV1, and later that year she appeared as Detective Inspector Samantha Keeble in several episodes of the BBC soap EastEnders.[5] She played the part of a back-street abortionist in an episode of the popular BBC One drama Call the Midwife, as well as appearing in the short film Father in 2013. <ref name=Radio Times: Episode guide to 'Call the Midwife'>"Radio Times: Call the Midwife Episode Guide". Retrieved 2013-07-10.</ref> In July 2014 Newman resumed the role of DI Samantha Keeble in EastEnders when her character was put in charge of the Lucy Beale murder case. She will remain in EastEnders until at least February 2015.

Newman has extensive theatre experience, including Loveplay by Moira Buffini; Luminosity by Nick Stafford; Night of the Soul by David Farr and The Big Lie by Anthony Neilson, all for the RSC, as well as The Censor and The Lying Kind, both by Anthony Neilson, for the Royal Court Theatre, London. Between 2003 and 2006, she appeared in Vagina Monologues, both on tour and in the West End. Her most recent theatre work was in Two Women, by Martina Cole, and performed at the Theatre Royal Stratford East between February and March 2010.[6]

Personal life

Alison is married to Hugh Williams, a graphic designer.[3] They live in Hackney, East London.

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1998 The Bill Maria Scanlon Episode: Love's Labours Lost
1999 Touching Evil Lynn Southy Episodes: Fiery Death, Parts One and Two
1999 Great Expectations Supplicant Mother
2000 Bad Girls Renee Williams Episodes: Facing Up, and Rough Justice
2000 The Bill Kim Palmer Episode: Streetwise
2001 Family Affairs Linda Renshaw
2002-2005 Footballers Wives Hazel Bailey
2003 Holby City Janet Boyd Episode: Going it Alone
2004 Hex Reverend George Pilot episode
2004 This Morning Herself
2004 Liquid News Herself
2005 Rocket Man Diane Scott
2005 The New Paul O'Grady Show Herself
2005 Open Wide Rose
2005 GMTV Herself
2005 Favouritism Herself Episode: Boy George's Queerest TV Moments
2005 Loose Women Herself
2006 Doctors Monica Greely Episode: A Regular Fare
2006 Casualty Jocelyn Pike Episode: Family Matters
2008 TV's 50 Hardest Men Herself
2008 Rock Rivals Lynette Hopkins
2008 The Wright Stuff Herself
2008, 2014- EastEnders DI Samantha Keeble
2010 Trinny & Susannah: From Boom to Bust Clodagh Malone
2011 New Tricks Karen Chapman Episode: Only the Brave
2011 Silk Sue Crocker
2012 Casualty Sian Brothwick Episode: Hero Syndrome
2012 Whitechapel Judy Miles 3 episodes
2013 Call the Midwife Mrs. Pritchard
2013 By Any Means

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1999 The Butterfly Collectors Sandra Hollins
2000 The Prince and the Pauper Ann Canty
2003 Ashes and Sand Hayley's Mother
2006 Kidulthood Claire's Mum
2007 i The Eye Short
2013 Father Margherita Short

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
1990 The Tempest Spirit[7] Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
1997 The Censor Wife Finborough Theatre and Royal Court Theatre London
1998 Electronic Dark Age Edinburgh Festival
2001 Loveplay Various[8] RSC
2001 Luminosity Betty Mercer/Midwife[8] RSC
2001 Epitaph for the Official Secrets Act The One Who Stays[8] RSC Playreading
2002 Night of the Soul Liz Chappell[9] RSC
2002 The Lying Kind Gronya Royal Court Theatre London
2003-2006 Vagina Monologues UK tour, and West End
2008 The Big Lie RSC/Latitude Festival
2008 The Long Road Elizabeth[10] Synergy Theatre Project in association with The Forgiveness Project, Soho Theatre, London
2010 Two Women Doreen Theatre Royal Stratford East

References

  1. "Footballer$ Wives - Alison Newman As Hazel Bailey". Retrieved 2013-07-05.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Metro Interview with Alison Newman". 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Dame of Two Halves". 2005. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Bad Girls Official Website: Alison Newman". Retrieved 2013-07-05.
  5. "Ex-'Wives' actress lands 'Enders stint". Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  6. "Review of Two Women". The Independent. 20 March 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  7. "Footballers Wives Official Website Series 3 Cast Interviews: Alison Newman". Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Theatricalia - Alison Newman". Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  9. "Theatricalia - Alison Newman". Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  10. "The Long Road, review". Retrieved 5 July 2013.

External links