Larry Lamb facts for kids

Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He is famous for playing Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He also played Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series Gavin & Stacey. Another notable role was Ted Case in the BBC drama New Tricks. In 2016, he appeared on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

Early Life and Discoveries

Larry Lamb was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, England. His parents were Jessie White and Ronald Douglas Lamb. He was the oldest of four children.

In 2011, Larry took part in the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are?. On the show, he found out something amazing about his family history. He learned that his ancestors ran a famous traveling animal show called Day's Menagerie. One of his relatives was even a lion tamer named Martini Bartlett!

School and Early Jobs

Larry went to Edmonton County School. After school, he worked as an assistant for a large paper recycling company. Later, he sold encyclopedias. He then joined the oil industry, which took him to places like Libya and Canada.

While in Canada, he studied at St. Francis Xavier University. This helped him turn his hobby of acting into a professional career. He performed at Canada's Stratford Festival in 1975 and 1976.

Acting Career Highlights

After returning to Britain, Larry Lamb became a regular on the BBC show Triangle (1981–1983). He played Matt Taylor, the ship's chief engineer, on this ferry-based soap opera.

He also appeared in many other popular TV shows. These include The New Avengers, The Professionals, Minder, Lovejoy, A Touch of Frost, Casualty, and Midsomer Murders.

Playing Mick Shipman

From 2007 to 2010, Larry starred in the hit comedy Gavin & Stacey. He played Michael "Mick" Shipman, who was Gavin's dad. He returned to this role for a Christmas special in 2019. He also appeared in the show's final episode in 2024.

His Role as Archie Mitchell

In 2008, Larry began playing Archie Mitchell in EastEnders. Archie was the father of Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell. Larry based his portrayal of Archie on his own father. He left the show in April 2009 but came back in July of the same year. Archie was killed off in a big murder storyline at Christmas 2009.

In 2010, Larry appeared with his son, George Lamb, on EastEnders Live: The Aftermath. This show followed the live episode where Stacey Slater was revealed as Archie's killer.

Other Notable Acting Roles

In 2009, Larry acted alongside Liam Cunningham in the film Blood: The Last Vampire. He played General McKee.

In 2011, Larry took part in a BBC Learning project called "Off By Heart Shakespeare." This project helped secondary school students learn Shakespeare. For it, Larry played Jaques from the play As You Like It. He performed the famous speech: "All the world's a stage."

Larry also joined the cast of New Tricks as Ted Case in its 12th series. His films include Buster and Essex Boys. He had a small role in Superman III in 1983. In 2023, Larry appeared in the Channel 5 drama series The Inheritance.

Theatre Performances

Larry Lamb has performed in many plays. Some of his theatre work includes:

• Educating Rita as Frank
• The Five Wives of Maurice Pinder as Maurice
• Fool for Love as Old Man
• The Price as Victor
• Hamlet as Claudius
• Art as Marc
• Nine as Guido
• Lulu as Rodrigo

Other Work and Appearances

In 2013, Larry started hosting a regular Sunday morning radio show on LBC. He also sometimes reports for the BBC program The One Show. In 2014, Larry participated in Gareth's All Star Choir. This was part of the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal.

In 2016, he was a contestant on the sixteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He was the sixth celebrity to be voted out of the jungle that year.

Personal Life and Family

Larry Lamb has four children. His first marriage was to Anita Wisbey. They had a daughter named Vanessa Lamb, born in 1969. Vanessa has a daughter of her own.

Larry's second marriage was to Linda Martin. They have a son, George Lamb, who is a radio DJ and TV presenter, born in 1979.

From 1996 to 2014, Larry was in a relationship with Clare Burt. They had two daughters together: Eloise Alexandra (born 1998) and Eva-Mathilde (born 2003). As of 2017, Larry lived in Cornwall. He is in a relationship with artist Marie Hugo.

Larry's autobiography, Mummy's Boy, was published in 2011. In 2025, he published his first novel, All Wrapped Up.

Awards and Recognition

Larry Lamb won an award for Best Villain at the 2010 British Soap Awards. This was for his role as Archie Mitchell in EastEnders.

Film and Television Roles

Larry Lamb has had many roles in films and on television. Here are some of his appearances:

Film Roles

• 1978: Superman as 1st Reporter
• 1983: Superman III as 2nd Miner
• 1988: Buster as Bruce Reynolds
• 2000: Essex Boys as Peter Chase
• 2009: Blood: The Last Vampire as General McKee
• 2017: The Hatton Garden Job as Brian Reader
• 2019: Brighton as Derek
• 2022: Hounded as Gregory

Television Roles

• 1981–1983: Triangle as Matt Taylor (78 episodes)
• 1992–1993: Get Back as Albert Sweet (15 episodes)
• 2004–2005: The Bill as Jonathan Fox (20 episodes)
• 2007–2010, 2019, 2024: Gavin & Stacey as Mick Shipman (All 22 episodes)
• 2008–2010: EastEnders as Archie Mitchell (154 episodes)
• 2015: New Tricks as Ted Case (9 episodes)
• 2023: The Inheritance as Dennis (All 4 episodes)
• 2024: Curfew as Rhys (All 6 episodes)

See also

In Spanish: Larry Lamb para niños