To think Anna Maxwell Martin ‘made’ Gavin and Stacey?

[Jumell]

When I first saw her on screen, I literally couldn’t believe my eyes.

As a whole it was pleasant enough and watchable albeit a bit boring in parts - e.g the whole stag do thing was bit ‘meh’ - but I couldn’t just sit through it without scrolling through phone which is terrible habit I know

If you aren’t sure why you should like Olivia Coleman you should check her out on Graham Norton. She could barely remember what film she was supposed to be promoting not to mind which character she played. She was utterly hilarious.

not watched this programme very much at all, but enough to get the gist...however one question, why don't Nessa and Smithy ever kiss?

Even she can’t tell her roles apart.
Like I said ‘Olivia Coleman is Olivia Coleman playing xyz’

OP I think you’re a bit blinded by your super fan status?

she was fine. Not notable. But not in a bad way - she played her small role. It’s really normal for well known actors to play minor roles or cameo’s in show’s they love / their friends are producing.

Lol. It was a particularly un-noteworthy performance. Prescott was more charismatic.

This.

It's a very odd claim.
I mean, I like her as an actress, but her role could have been played by anyone.

It is the writing that made the show, as it has all of the previous series.

Oh come off it

She’s a good actress but she’s hardly an out of the ordinary choice to appear in the most hyped TV programme for years.

Maybe you’d better sit down for this OP but did you know 2 times Oscar winning actress Maggie Smith was in Downton Abbey?

Quite. AMM is just another tv actor. No idea what your point is really.

Have another drink though 😀

Hi Anna!

I really don't think you should be advising OP to have another drink @ChristmasinBrighton.
On the basis of her opening remark I think she may have had enough 😉

Her and John Prescott's roles are not comparable. John Prescott's role was a true cameo role. He was a politician who, in Nessa's version of her life, she had a relationship with. AMM is an actress playing a vicar.

I have nothing against AMM and loved her in Motherland and it was nice to see her in G&S but she was doing what she is trained for. JP wasn't.

I likes G&S on Christmas Day but AMM was only a part of it!

Couldn’t you? When they’d got Alison Steadman and Russell Povey? Seriously?

Glad I spared myself

I absolutely love her, I’ve just watched Motherland the whole way through again for about the 4th time and she’s wonderful as Julia. I don’t think she really added anything to this role though. It could have been anyone, no shade to her but it wasn’t unique or brilliant.

High calibre? 😆

You are definitely on the wind up @Jumell !!! 😂

I reckon if you showed 1000 people in the UK a photograph of her, 950 wouldn't know what her name is. Around 800 would not even recognise her.

So, are you her agent, a family member, or Anna herself?! 😂

And Larry Lamb, and James Corden, and Ruth Jones, and Rob Brydon, and Sheridan Smith, and... well anyone and everyone really ... Most people on it were a higher calibre than Anna! 😂

I reckon if you showed 1000 people in the UK a photograph of her, 950 wouldn't know what her name is. Around 800 would not even recognise her.

I saw her in Waitrose earlier today, and around 800 people were definitely not recognising her.

There are so many brilliant British actors in Gavin and Stacey, I can’t see why AMM would stand out.

I think if Keanu Reeves had stepped up to officiate I'd have a "Whoa" response, but AMM, not so much

I watched a programme about Maggie Smith's amazing career recently and she said it was a bit depressing that her 'legacy' will be for many that she was in Downton Abbey, and Alison Steadman will probably be the same, a fabulous career forgotten.

It was a very small bit part - hardly "made" the program

I did enjoy it - I get that not everyone did - but if you didn't, why not turn it off?

she was in a play with James Cordon summer/autumn time, maybe she got/took the part because of that.

I didn't realise that a lot of the stags were who Cordon had worked with in The History Boys.

I'll say one thing for James Corden, he retains his friends and gets them gigs. For someone so allegedly awful, that's not nothing.

Agreed! Both these actors annoy the absolute crap out of me.