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It's an impossibly difficult job being a good, modern, city vicar – and it's equally hard being married to one. People can, and do, ring the vicarage doorbell whenever they feel like it – and there are no weekends off.

But Alex is no archetypal vicar's wife. Where her husband walks with the outcasts and marginalised of the world, she represents them in court. She's a spirited legal aid solicitor who's seen it all, but retained a strong sense of humour.

Alex is able to say the things Adam thinks but has to suppress – whether it's indignation at middle-class parents trying to exploit the church to get their kids into a good school, or simply swearing a lot.

She's fiercely protective and ever-supportive of Adam, even if she does read the Sunday papers during his sermons.

Olivia Colman has just completed filming on Tyrannosaur, which is written and directed by Paddy Considine. Other film credits include Hot Fuzz, I Could Never Be Your Woman, Grow Your Own, Confetti and Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee.

Her theatre credits include Long Day's Journey Into Night at the Lyric Shaftesbury Avenue, directed by Robin Phillips, and England People Very Nice at the National Theatre, directed by Nicholas Hytner,

Olivia's acclaimed television work includes Beautiful People, Green Wing, Look Around You, Black Books, The Office, That Mitchell & Webb Look, Hancock & Joan, Consuming Passion and Peep Show. She received a Best Comedy Actress nomination for the latter at the British Comedy Awards.

Next she will shoot Twenty Twelve, written by John Morton for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Four.