Larry Lamb (actor)
| Larry Lamb | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lawrence Douglas Lamb 10 October 1947 Edmonton, North London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Edmonton County Grammar School |
| Alma mater | St. Francis Xavier University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Notable work(s) | See below |
| Height | 1.93 metres (6 ft 4.0 in) |
| Television | EastEnders Gavin & Stacey The Bill Supply & Demand The Missing Postman Annie's Bar Get Back Triangle |
| Spouse | Linda Martin (m. 1979–1996) (divorced) |
| Partner | Clare Burt (1996–present) |
| Children | Vanessa Clare Lamb (born 1969) George (born 1979) Eloise Alexandra (born 1999) Eva-Mathilde (born 2003) |
Lawrence Douglas "Larry" Lamb (born 10 October 1947) is an English actor who has worked frequently in television. He is best known for playing one of the greatest villains of British soap: Archie Mitchell in the BBC television soap EastEnders, Michael Shipman in the BBC television show Gavin & Stacey and Mischievous Marty in the cult sitcom Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
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[edit] Early life
Lamb was born Lawrence Douglas Lamb on 10 October 1947 in Edmonton, London to Jessie White and Ronald Douglas Lamb. Larry is the eldest of four including his brother, Wesley and a sister. Lamb had a turbulent childhood; he was verbally abused by his father and often had to keep his parents from fighting.[1] Lamb attended Edmonton County Grammar School, and later Lamb joined the oil industry, which resulted in him working in Libya and Canada, where he attended St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. This developed his amateur interest in acting into a professional level, performing at Canada's Stratford Festival in 1975–76.
[edit] Career
[edit] Acting
After returning to the UK from Canada Lamb became a regular cast member, along with Kate O'Mara, in the BBC's North Sea ferry-based soap Triangle (1981–83), in which he played Matt Taylor, the ship's Chief Engineer.
Other credits include The New Avengers, The Professionals, Fox, Minder, Lovejoy, Get Back, A Touch of Frost, Our Friends in the North, Taggart, Casualty, Kavanagh QC, Spooks, Midsomer Murders, and The Bill.
Between 2007 and 2010, Lamb appeared in Gavin & Stacey playing Gavin's father, Michael "Mick" Shipman.
In 2008, he began playing the part of twisted, manipulative Archie Mitchell, the father of Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell in EastEnders. He based his portrayal of Archie on his own father.[2] He left the show in April 2009 but returned in July the same year, around the same time that Danniella Westbrook returned to her role of Archie's niece, Sam Mitchell. Archie was killed off in a murder storyline at Christmas 2009. On 19 February 2010, Larry appeared with his son, George Lamb, in EastEnders Live: The Aftermath, after the identity of Archie's killer was revealed.
In April 2011, BBC Learning launched "Off By Heart Shakespeare", a school recital contest for secondary school pupils. For the project Larry took on the role of Jaques from the play As You Like It and delivered the speech: "All the world's a stage".[3]
[edit] Film
Lamb has also appeared in various films, including the 1980s hit Buster, also starring Phil Collins and Julie Walters, and as Peter Chase in Essex Boys. In 1983, he had a small speaking role (as a worker at the coal mine, near the end of the film) in the blockbuster Superman III, which starred Christopher Reeve and Richard Pryor.
In 2009, Lamb starred alongside Liam Cunningham in Blood: The Last Vampire, in the role of General McKee.
[edit] Theatre
In 1978 Lamb appeared in Filumena by Eduardo De Filippo opposite Joan Plowright, Colin Blakely, Patricia Hayes and directed by Franco Zeffirelli. [4]
During this time Lamb met theatre legends such as Lord Olivier, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson. [5]
In 1992, Lamb acted in James Saunders' play, Making It Better, at the Criterion Theatre in London, England with Jane Asher, David de Keyser, Rufus Sewell, and directed by Michael Rudman. 1994 saw Lamb act in two plays. The Sisters Rosensweig alongside Janet Suzman and Maureen Lipman (THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG - Wendy Wasserstein (Greenwich) Maureen Lipman, Janet Suzman, Lynda Bellingham, Larry Lamb, Brian Protheroe, Robert East)Phyllis Nagy's play, Butterfly Kiss, at the Almeida Theatre in London with Susan Brown, Oliver Cotton, Sandra Dickinson, directed by Steven Pimlott.[6]
[edit] Comedy
In 2010, Lamb was going to tour the UK with his own stand-up comedy show, entitled "An Evening With Larry Lamb". The tour has since been cancelled owing to inclement weather in the UK which prevented Lamb from rehearsing.[7]
[edit] Personal life
Lamb lives with his girlfriend, Clare Burt. He is the father of BBC 6 Music disc jockey, Celebrity Scissorhands and Big Brother's Little Brother presenter George Lamb, from his previous marriage to Linda Martin. He has another son named John, who is in the motor industry and lives in the Buckinghamshire area. He also has three daughters Vanessa Clare Lamb (born 1969) and Eloise Alexandra (born 1999 in Islington) and Eva-Mathilde Lamb (born 2003 in Camden) with Clare Burt.[8]
Lamb is sponsoring two young Senegalese girls, Fatou and Oumou, through school.[9]
In 2011, Lamb participated in the BBC production of "Who Do You Think You Are" and found out that he descended from a line of proprietors of Day's Menagerie and the famous Martini Bartlett lion tamer. [10]
[edit] Awards and nominations
Lamb won the award for Best Villain at the 2010 British Soap Awards.[11]
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Superman | Reporter 1 | |
| 1983 | Superman III | Miner 2 | |
| 1984 | Mon ami Washington | English title: My Friend Washington | |
| Flight to Berlin | Specialist Dale Sizemore | ||
| 1985 | Shadey | Dick Darnley | |
| Underworld | Roy Bain | ||
| 1987 | Ubac | Larry | |
| Hearts of Fire | Jack Rosner | ||
| 1988 | Buster | Bruce Reynolds | |
| 1998 | Place Vendôme | Christopher Makos | |
| 2000 | Essex Boys | Peter Chase | |
| One of the Hollywood Ten | Will Geer | ||
| 2004 | Deadlines | Paul Baker | |
| Fakers | Harvey Steed | ||
| 2009 | Blood: The Last Vampire | General McKee | |
| 2011 | Two Minutes | William | Short Film |
| 2012 | Rose, Mary and Time | Barneys Dad | Short Film |
[edit] Television work
- A Picture of Health (5 epsiodes)...Himself
- National Treasures Live (1 episode, 2011)...Himself
- Who Do You Think You Are? (1 episode, 2011)...Himself
- When Royals Wed (4 episodes, 2011)...Himself
- The Magicians (1 episode, 2011)...Himself
- Celebrity Juice (1 episode, 2011)...Himself
- The Wright Stuff (2 episodes, 2010–2011)... Himself
- My Life on Books (1 episode, 2011)... Himself
- The Million Pound Drop Live (1 episode, 2010)... Himself
- Men About the House (2010)... Himself
- An Audience with Michael Buble (2010)... Himself
- The British Soap Awards 2010 (2010)... Himself
- George and Larry Lamb's Parent Trip (2010)... Himself
- Loose Women (3 episodes, 2008–2010)... Himself
- The Weakest Link (1 episode, 2010)... Himself
- Eastenders Live The Aftermath (2010)... Himself-Guest
- Breakfast (1 episode, 2010)... Himself-Actor
- The ONE Show (2 episodes, 2009–2010)... Himself
- Eastenders The Greatest Cliffhangers ... Archie Mitchell ... (1 episode, 2010) (also archive footage)... Himself
- National Television Awards (2010)... Himself
- Gavin & Stacey The Out-Takes (2010)... Himself
- Gavin & Stacey (20 episodes, 2007–2010)... Mick Shipman
- The Greatest TV Shows of the Noughties (2009) ... Himself/Mick (also archive footage)
- Eastenders (150 episodes, 2008–2009)... Archie Mitchell
- GMTV (2 episodes, 2004–2009)... Himself
- Paul O'Grady Show (1 episode, 2009)... Himself
- Would I Lie to You (1 episode, 2009)... Himself
- The British Soap Awards 2009 (2009)... Himself
- Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (1 episode, 2009)... Himself
- Movie Connections (1 episode, 2009)... Himself
- Gavin & Stacey How It Happened (2007)... Himself
- Spooks (1 episode, 2006)... Iain Kaillis
- Silent Witness (1 episode, 2006)... Max Wheaton
- The Bill (20 episodes, 2004–2005)... Jonathan Fox
- Murphy's Law (4 episodes, 2005)... George Garvey
- Cathedral (2005) Thomas a Beckett
- Midsomer Murders (1 episode, 2001)... Melvyn Stockard
- Kavanagh QC (1 episode, 2001)... Alan Rainer
- Home Sweet Home (2001) (Voice)
- Casualty (1 episode, 1999)... Father Peter Harker
- Taggart (1 episode, 1999)... Martin Strange
- The Blonde Bombshell (1999)... Will Humphreys
- Supply & Demand (6 episodes, 1998) ... Simon Hughes
- The Missing Postman (1997)... Trevor Ramsay
- Annie's Bar (10 episodes, 1996)... Terry Dunning
- Our Friends in the North (2 episodes, 1996)... Alan Roe
- Strangers (1 episode, 1996)... Leonard
- A Touch of Frost (1 episode, 1995)... Mike Ross
- The Wimbledon Poisoner (2 episodes, 1994)... Dr. Donald Templeton
- In Suspicious Circumstances (1 episode, 1994)... Weldon Atherstone
- Doggin Around (1994)... Ken
- White Goods (1994)... Jonnie Dow
- Get Back (3 episodes, 1992)... Albert Sweet
- Between the Lines (1 episode, 1992)... Dennis Ralston
- TV Hell (1992)... Himself
- Lovejoy (2 episodes, 1992)... Gerald Somers
- Fool's Gold: The Story of the Brink's-Mat Robbery (1992)... Kenneth Noye
- Screenplay (1 episode, 1991)... UNKNOWN
- A Little Piece of Sunshine (1990)... Desmond Hannah
- Pursuit (1989)... Davi
- Fratelli (1988)... Mauro Barberi
- Theatre Night (1 episode, 1987)... The Sergeant
- Harry's Kingdom (1987)... Terry Stewart
- Boon (1 episode, 1986)... Alan Prendergest
- Christopher Columbus (1985)... Don Castillo
- Minder (1 episode, 1984)... Greg Collins
- Jemima Shore Investigates (1 episode, 1983)... Max Highams
- Triangle (78 episodes, 1981–1983)... Matt Taylor
- Saturday Night Thriller (1 episode, 1982)... UNKNOWN
- The Professionals (1 episode, 1980)... Jack Craine
- Fox (11 episodes, 1980)... Joey Fox
- Armchair Triller (1 episode, 1980)... CPO Chalky White
- The Dick Francis Thriller The Racing Game (1 episode, 1979)... Steve
- Hazell (1 episode, 1979)... Ned Barrow
- The New Avengers... (1 episode, 1977)... Williams
[edit] References
- ^ "Larry Lamb: 'I ran away from my daughter'". http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/s2/eastenders/news/a230487/larry-lamb-i-ran-away-from-my-daughter.html.
- ^ "Larry Lamb inspired by 'evil' dad". Metro. 2 December 2008. http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/article.html?Larry_Lamb_inspired_by_evil_dad&in_article_id=428143&in_page_id=7&in_a_source=. Retrieved 27 March 2009.
- ^ "Schools - Teachers - Off By Heart Shakespeare: As You Like It "All the world's a stage"". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/offbyheart/speeches/as_you_like_it_worlds_a_stage.shtml. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
- ^ "UK theatre programmes 1970's". THEATRICALIA. http://www.phyllis.demon.co.uk/theatricalia/07class/plays7079.htm. Retrieved 2011-08-27.
- ^ Mummy's Boy: My Autobiography (2011) by Larry Lamb, Coronet Books, p166
- ^ Other works for Larry Lamb IMDb.com
- ^ mademedia.co.uk (2007-10-04). "An Evening With Larry Lamb". THSH. http://www.thsh.co.uk/view/an-evening-with-larry-lamb. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
- ^ George Lamb: My dad's not evil! This is Hull and East Riding, 8 April 2009
- ^ I’ve got daughters here... and in Africa The Sun, 11 February 2010
- ^ Who Do You Think You Are? National Fairground Archive
- ^ "Villain of the Year - British Soap Awards 2010 - Pictures - Tvradio". Virgin Media. http://www.virginmedia.com/tvradio/soaps/soapnews/british-soap-awards-2010.php?ssid=2. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
