Nicola Walker, known for her dramatic roles in Spooks, Unforgotten, and The Split, is showcasing her comedic talent in the new Disney+ series Alice & Steve. The show follows Alice, a mother who discovers her best friend of 30 years is dating her 26-year-old daughter, leading to a hilarious and awkward conflict.
Walker told Metro that her favorite comedy has a certain kindness to it. 'I don’t mind if the comedy is really biting, but there has to be something in it. I have to care about the characters,' she explained. While Alice goes full 'mama bear' in her vengeance, Walker admitted she would struggle to comprehend such a betrayal in real life. 'It would break the silent deal you make with best friends. They’re the keeper of all your secrets, and always in your corner, so if you felt betrayed by real best friends, I’m not sure how I would come back from that,' she said.
In the series, Izzy (Yali Topol Margalith) makes the first move on Steve (Jemaine Clement), who is crashing on the family couch after a night out. Walker noted that while Izzy and Steve are drawn to each other, Alice doesn't care about that. 'Alice doesn’t care about that. But what I enjoyed when I watched the first few episodes, you think, “Oh, they are actually falling in love”, which makes it more interesting, but I still completely understand why Alice wants to take him down and destroy him,' she said.
Walker praised her co-star Jemaine Clement, calling him an 'absolute genius.' She admitted to being a fan of his work, especially What We Do In The Shadows, which she considers one of her top five films. 'I’ve always thought Jermaine is an absolute genius, and I was correct. I like his irreverence, to feel that relaxed. His brain works so quickly, I loved every scene I got with him,' she said.
The show is available in six half-hour episodes, making it an easy binge-watch. Walker, a self-declared binge-watcher, expressed some concern about the format. 'I think I’m going to try and ration myself because binge-watching is not good for my head. I can’t actually remember it,' she admitted.
Alice & Steve is now streaming on Disney+.
