Alison King
Encyclopedia
Alison King is an English actress. She has had major television roles as Lynda Block
in the Sky One
television series Dream Team
, and as Carla Connor
in Coronation Street
since 2006.
to Alex and June King, who were both nurses at that hospital. She was their fifth child and third daughter. She was raised in the family home first in Ratby Lane, Markfield
, Leicestershire
where she went to Markfield Mercenfeld Primary School and was taught by Tracey Lee, mother of Sammy Lee
, and Gillian Sykes, then in Kirby Muxloe
. She attended South Charnwood High School, where she first took an interest in acting. She continued to act while attending Groby Community College, where a teacher would offer drama and dance classes to students in their free time. Alison was raised as a Christadelphian and attended the Christadelphian Church at Westleigh, Leicester
, where she was baptised as a teenager. At the age of 18, King moved to Newquay
, Cornwall
, where she worked at Fat Willys Surf Shack. When she was 22, she enrolled at the North Cheshire Community Theatre. During her time there she got her first television role, playing Helen, a hair salon crimper, in two episodes of Brookside
. Before the conclusion of her 3-year diploma, she was cast in the major role of Lynda Block in Sky One's Dream Team
.
—appearing in a scene alongside Jackie Chan
and Owen Wilson
—supporting major roles such as BBC
comedy-drama Help, video film Submerged
(2005) and feature film Final Contract: Death on Delivery. She made a guest appearance in the final episode of Mile High
, playing the wife of Captain Nigel Croker's, and was featured in Coupling
in the episode "The Man with Two Legs", as Chrissy, an attractive woman with whom Jeff Murdock becomes infatuated on his morning train ride. She played one of the prominent roles for two independent films, Save Angel Hope (2006) and Back in Business
(2007).
In 2006, she was cast as Carla Connor
in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street
. She made her first appearance in the role in the episode broadcast on 1 December 2006. She had previously appeared in the soap in 2002 as an unrelated character named Mrs Fanshaw. Her one-episode role was part of a larger storyline to "sex up" Ryan Thomas
's character, builder Jason Grimshaw
. King's pregnancy required her to go on maternity leave in 2009. In 2010 Alison was involved in the 'Death of Tony Gordon
' storyline.
She has also made appearances in a series of recurring television adverts for Daz
and was the marketing "face" of Boddingtons
beer. In 2000, she appeared in an episode of Cold Feet
as "Girlpower", a seductive Internet avatar.
(who played Des Barnes
).
In 2006, King became engaged to fellow actor Jim Alexander who co-starred in several series of Dream Team with her, as well as the Daz adverts. However, the pair split up in early 2007.
She has been dating Adam Huckett, a Coronation Street sound technician since April 2007. She gave birth to their daughter, Daisy Mae, on 11 February 2009. King has also stated that she wishes to have more children in the future.
She became engaged to him in September 2011 while on a trip to Paris.
Lynda Block
Lynda Block is a fictional character in the Sky One drama, Dream Team. She was also a big rugby fan growing up and idolised lions player like Bill Beaumont and Rodney O'Donnell. Lynda is played by British actress Alison King....
in the Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
television series Dream Team
Dream Team (TV series)
Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
, and as Carla Connor
Carla Connor
Carla Connor is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. She is portrayed by actress Alison King. Carla was created by producer Steve Frost as part of the new Connor family....
in Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
since 2006.
Early life and education
Alison King was born on 3 March 1973 at Leicester Royal InfirmaryLeicester Royal Infirmary
The Leicester Royal Infirmary is a large National Health Service hospital in Leicester, England. It is located to the south-west of the city centre. It has Leicester's accident and emergency department, and is part of the University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust.The hospital was originally...
to Alex and June King, who were both nurses at that hospital. She was their fifth child and third daughter. She was raised in the family home first in Ratby Lane, Markfield
Markfield
Markfield is a commuter village sitting within both the National Forest and Charnwood Forest and in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. The settlement dates back to at least the time of the Norman conquest and is mentioned in the Domesday Book under the name...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
where she went to Markfield Mercenfeld Primary School and was taught by Tracey Lee, mother of Sammy Lee
Sammy Lee
Sammy Lee may refer to:*Sammy Lee , expert in vitro fertilisation*Sammy Lee , Korean-American diver and two-time Olympic Games champion...
, and Gillian Sykes, then in Kirby Muxloe
Kirby Muxloe
Kirby Muxloe is a town and civil parish west of Leicester. Its proximity to the city causes it to form part of the Leicester Urban Area. The Leicester Forest East parish border runs along the Hinckley Road A47...
. She attended South Charnwood High School, where she first took an interest in acting. She continued to act while attending Groby Community College, where a teacher would offer drama and dance classes to students in their free time. Alison was raised as a Christadelphian and attended the Christadelphian Church at Westleigh, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, where she was baptised as a teenager. At the age of 18, King moved to Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, where she worked at Fat Willys Surf Shack. When she was 22, she enrolled at the North Cheshire Community Theatre. During her time there she got her first television role, playing Helen, a hair salon crimper, in two episodes of Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
. Before the conclusion of her 3-year diploma, she was cast in the major role of Lynda Block in Sky One's Dream Team
Dream Team (TV series)
Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
.
Career
Alison King appeared on Dream Team as Lynda Block for three years before the character was sent to prison. She reprised the role some years later. During her break from working on Dream Team, she worked on several projects abroad including a role as an extra in the American feature film Shanghai KnightsShanghai Knights
Shanghai Knights is a 2003 action-comedy film. It is the sequel to Shanghai Noon. It was directed by David Dobkin and written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.-Plot:...
—appearing in a scene alongside Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
and Owen Wilson
Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...
—supporting major roles such as BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy-drama Help, video film Submerged
Submerged
Submerged is an action film, released in 2005. The film stars Steven Seagal, Christine Adams, William Hope, Gary Daniels, Alison King and Vinnie Jones. The film was directed by British director Anthony Hickox.- Plot :...
(2005) and feature film Final Contract: Death on Delivery. She made a guest appearance in the final episode of Mile High
Mile High
Mile High is a British television drama based on the lives of the cabin crew members of "fresh!", a budget airline based in London. The name of the show comes from the "Mile High Club". The show was broadcast on Sky1 from 2003 to 2005.-Background:...
, playing the wife of Captain Nigel Croker's, and was featured in Coupling
Coupling (UK TV series)
Coupling is a British television sitcom written by Steven Moffat that aired on BBC2 from May 2000 to June 2004. Produced by Hartswood Films for the BBC, the show centres on the dating and sexual adventures and mishaps of six friends in their thirties, often depicting the three women and the three...
in the episode "The Man with Two Legs", as Chrissy, an attractive woman with whom Jeff Murdock becomes infatuated on his morning train ride. She played one of the prominent roles for two independent films, Save Angel Hope (2006) and Back in Business
Back in Business (2007 film)
Back in Business is a 2007 comedy film, starring Martin Kemp, Chris Barrie and Dennis Waterman.-Plot:Will Spencer and his friend, unsuccessful actor Tom are former confidence tricksters who have carried out various scams, including selling London's Tower Bridge several times over...
(2007).
In 2006, she was cast as Carla Connor
Carla Connor
Carla Connor is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. She is portrayed by actress Alison King. Carla was created by producer Steve Frost as part of the new Connor family....
in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. She made her first appearance in the role in the episode broadcast on 1 December 2006. She had previously appeared in the soap in 2002 as an unrelated character named Mrs Fanshaw. Her one-episode role was part of a larger storyline to "sex up" Ryan Thomas
Ryan Thomas
Ryan James Thomas and is an English actor who is currently starring as the character, Jason Grimshaw on ITV's Coronation Street.-Career:...
's character, builder Jason Grimshaw
Jason Grimshaw
Jason Grimshaw, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Ryan Thomas, the character first appeared during the episode airing on 25 December 2000, when he comes looking for mother Eileen at the Battersbys' home.Jason is very much the...
. King's pregnancy required her to go on maternity leave in 2009. In 2010 Alison was involved in the 'Death of Tony Gordon
Tony Gordon
Anthony "Tony" Gordon was a fictional character in the itv soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by actor Gray O'Brien. The character first appeared on screen on 16 September 2007 and making his final appearance on 9 June 2010 after deciding to sacrifice himself in the Underworld fire. He is a...
' storyline.
She has also made appearances in a series of recurring television adverts for Daz
Daz (detergent)
Daz is the name of a popular laundry detergent on the market in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble and is lower priced than P&G's main brand, Ariel...
and was the marketing "face" of Boddingtons
Boddingtons
Boddingtons Bitter is a bitter ale originally brewed at the Strangeways Brewery, Manchester, England. It was promoted as The Cream of Manchester from the late 1980s until 2004, when the Strangeways brewery was closed and production moved to Magor, South Wales and Salmesbury, Lancashire...
beer. In 2000, she appeared in an episode of Cold Feet
Cold Feet
Cold Feet is a British comedy-drama television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV network. The series was created and principally written by Mike Bullen as a follow-up to his award-winning 1997 Comedy Premiere of the same name. The storyline follows three couples experiencing the...
as "Girlpower", a seductive Internet avatar.
Personal life
She had a five-year relationship with former Coronation Street actor Philip MiddlemissPhilip Middlemiss
Philip Middlemiss is a British television and radio actor, who played bookmaker Des Barnes in ITV's Coronation Street...
(who played Des Barnes
Des Barnes
Desmond Francis "Des" Barnes is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, played by Philip Middlemiss.-Creation and development:...
).
In 2006, King became engaged to fellow actor Jim Alexander who co-starred in several series of Dream Team with her, as well as the Daz adverts. However, the pair split up in early 2007.
She has been dating Adam Huckett, a Coronation Street sound technician since April 2007. She gave birth to their daughter, Daisy Mae, on 11 February 2009. King has also stated that she wishes to have more children in the future.
She became engaged to him in September 2011 while on a trip to Paris.