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Larry Lamb, 77, candidly opens up about being ‘bullied’ by his ‘abusive father’ during childhood and admits he’s ‘broken the cycle’ with his own son George

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Larry Lamb candidly opened up about being ‘bullied’ by his ‘abusive’ father during his childhood.

77-year-old actor from Gavin & Stacey confessed that he spent his early years shrouded in apprehension, a sentiment he’s openly shared before, mentioning instances of verbal abuse inflicted upon him by his father.

To OK! Magazine, Larry openly discussed his apprehensions about parenthood due to the lack of a strong, positive father figure in his upbringing.

As someone who values the importance of nurturing influence, I understand that having a positive upbringing significantly contributes to one’s ability to be an effective parent. If those formative years lacked quality guidance, it becomes challenging to emulate that same level of care and wisdom in raising offspring. Consequently, this concern was not unfounded.

Instead, he explained that he managed to break free from the cycle while raising his 45-year-old son George, and he commended his former wife, Linda Martin, for her significant role in this achievement.

He acknowledged that it wouldn’t let George and I thrive, so Linda intervened. Therefore, kudos to Linda for disrupting the pattern and preventing its recurrence.

As a die-hard fan, I couldn’t help but jump at the chance to be present during Larry’s interview. That’s when George shared an intriguing piece of his childhood: His mother Linda, stern yet loving, played the role of disciplinarian, while he and his father Larry, sharing a bond that felt more like friends, walked side by side through life.

George shared that although it was hard on his mother, there was a silver lining: he and his father became friends through it all, which he found truly moving.

Larry described his bond with his son as ‘strong and secure,’ while George acknowledged that he was ‘unconditionally loved’ by his father.

Instead, George shared insights on how Larry appears to have grown more gentle with time compared to his younger siblings, Eloise (age 26) and Eva (age 23), during their conversation about parenting differences.

Larry greeted George at the time of his wedding to Linda, however, the pair parted ways in 1996, having been married for a total of seven years.

Subsequently, the actor tied the knot with Clare Burt, his partner of 12 years and mother of his children, in 2009. However, their marriage ended in 2016.

Larry, who’s enjoyed a lengthy and prosperous career on television, has hinted that the role in Gavin & Stacey might be his final TV gig. He’s decided to take a step away from acting now.

He openly expressed his excitement about concluding his acting journey by portraying Mick Shipman one last time in the sitcom’s Christmas special, which was titled “The Finale.

Currently, he’s dedicated to a fresh novel he penned about the entertainment world. Yet, he mentions he might accept minor stage performances just to maintain visibility. He emphasizes his contentment with leaving the larger roles for others to play.

While conversing with TopMob, he expressed: “You can become deeply attached to these characters, making them your favorites for a time. They essentially dominate your life. But ending up in my 70s portraying a cherished figure like Mick, admired by countless individuals, one must acknowledge the skill of the writers… at this point in my acting journey, Mick feels particularly close to me.

Over a period of six decades, Larry’s work has been extensive, yet it wasn’t until his 50s that he gained significant recognition on British television due to his two iconic roles that truly defined his career.

He went on to say: ‘My professional journey has been incredibly blessed; I’ve accomplished quite a lot that I take great pride in, and some of it may not be as well-known.’

I’ve had the privilege of working with esteemed institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. Furthermore, I’ve graced the stage in 12 West End productions and performed in various principal fringe theaters across London, even extending to Broadway. While I’ve been incredibly fortunate, I now find contentment in passing on the larger roles to others.

Larry expressed that earning fame from portraying Mick and Archie Mitchell on EastEnders feels like the payoff for all his years of tireless work, much of which was done on both the theater and television stages.

For a long time, it went unnoticed by many that I invested significant amounts of time at the theater, rather than on television as most believed. This is something he revealed.

Approximately half of my year will be dedicated to working on television, while the other half will involve theater performances.

If your career has been centered around entertainment, yet not everyone recognizes you, it’s quite an unexpected shift when almost everyone identifies you with a character instead.

To me, being recognized rather than unacknowledged is more satisfying. Especially if one is recognized as a beloved personality, it seems like an excellent culmination of a career.

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2025-07-19 14:50

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