---
name: "Larry Lamb"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/larry-lamb"
fi1m_id: "larry-lamb"
imdb_id: "nm0482987"
tmdb_id: 136039
wikidata_id: "Q572186"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "10 October 1947"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-07T16:30:31.137766+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Larry Lamb

## Identity

Larry Lamb

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/larry-lamb
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** larry-lamb
- **IMDb ID:** nm0482987
- **TMDB ID:** 136039
- **Wikidata ID:** Q572186
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Lamb, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q572186, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0482987/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/136039

Actor. Born 10 October 1947 in Edmonton, London, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 10 October 1947, Edmonton, London, England, UK
- **Active:** 1983–2007
- **Also known as:** Lawrence Douglas Lamb
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 6: 5 acting, 1 other
- **Average Fi1m score:** 68, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 60 (2), 2000s 76 (4)
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Crime 3, Comedy 2, Action 1, Action & Adventure 1, Adventure 1
- **Screen time:** 2 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $80m across 1 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Lamb, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q572186, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0482987/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/136039

## Streaming the US now

- **BritBox:** [*Would I Lie to You?*](https://film.one/tv/would-i-lie-to-you.md) (85)
- **Apple TV:** [*Gavin & Stacey*](https://film.one/tv/gavin-and-stacey.md) (80)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Larry Lamb

> Larry Lamb gives excitable people someone believable to talk to, and we rate his quiet contribution to *Gavin & Stacey* highly. His warmth as Mick Shipman is an asset, though it has made him too easy to pigeonhole.

Alison Steadman's Pam Shipman overreacts in *Gavin & Stacey* (2007), and Larry Lamb's Mick supplies the steadier presence beside her. The pleasure is that he need not compete for the biggest laugh to be worth watching. We warmed to Mick because his calm was welcome among people so ready to demand attention. He helps make these exchanges feel like people living together rather than performers waiting for their next line. It is an unshowy contribution to a comedy whose supporting players are its chief attraction.

Mick brought wider recognition after a long stretch of supporting roles in television and theatre. Matt Taylor in *Triangle* (1981–83) had given Lamb sustained television work, but the decisive change in his public reputation came much later. Alongside Mick, he played the manipulative Archie Mitchell in *EastEnders* (2008–2010). The overlapping parts are worth remembering when Lamb's affability begins to look like his only qualification. His reputation rests heavily on those two men, who offer quite different reasons to want him in a scene.

Christine Gernon's direction on *Gavin & Stacey* makes good use of the difference between Lamb and Steadman. She keeps the performances distinct without turning each exchange into a contest, and Lamb's restraint belongs to that shared approach. James Corden and Ruth Jones's comedy has a limitation: the central couple are less distinctive than the people around them. Mick helps make that imbalance enjoyable, though he is not the performance to choose if the appeal is a succession of showy comic turns. His value becomes clearer when we consider how much harder the others could be to take without someone quieter nearby.

The risk is that a part like Mick becomes an employer's entire idea of what Lamb can do. The role has limited later casting opportunities, despite the evidence of Archie and further regular television work as Ted Case in *New Tricks* (2015). Archie is a reason not to assume that Mick is all he can do. Start with *Gavin & Stacey*, and pay some attention to the person who is not making the fuss.

## Biography

Lawrence Douglas Lamb is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series *Gavin & Stacey* (2007–2010, with Christmas specials in 2019 and 2024) and Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera *EastEnders* (2008–2010).

Lamb was born in Edmonton, London. After working in the oil industry, including periods in Libya and Canada where he attended St Francis Xavier University, he began acting professionally with performances at Canada’s Stratford Festival in 1975–1976. Other credits include roles in *Superman* (1978) and *Superman III* (1983), *Spooks*, *Midsomer Murders* and *New Tricks* (2015).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

### Performed in (5) — the average rests on these

- *Gavin & Stacey* (2007), Fi1m 80, as Mick Shipman — [page](https://film.one/tv/gavin-and-stacey.md)
- *Spooks* (2002), Fi1m 77, as Iain Kallis — [page](https://film.one/tv/spooks.md)
- *Murphy's Law* (2001), Fi1m 63, as George Garvey — [page](https://film.one/tv/murphys-law.md)
- *EastEnders* (1985), Fi1m 70, as Archie Mitchell — [page](https://film.one/tv/eastenders.md)
- *Superman III* (1983), Fi1m 49, as 2nd Miner — [page](https://film.one/film/superman-iii.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Would I Lie to You?* (2007), Fi1m 85, as Self — [page](https://film.one/tv/would-i-lie-to-you.md)

## Complete filmography (88)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Art Detectives* (2025), series, as Ron Palmer
- *The Feud* (2025), series, as Terry Dobson
- *Gavin & Stacey: The Finale* (2024), as Mick Shipman
- *Curfew* (2024), series, as Rhys Holden
- *The Inheritance* (2023), series, as Dennis
- *Alison & Larry: Billericay To Barry* (2023), series, as Larry Lamb
- *Hounded* (2022), as Gregory
- *Me, Myself & Di* (2021), as Clifford
- *Whitstable Pearl* (2021), series, as Dickie Masters
- *We Love Gavin and Stacey* (2020), Actor
- *National Theatre Live: Death of England: Michael* (2020), as (Additional Voice)
- *Gavin & Stacey: A Special Christmas* (2019), as Mick Shipman
- *DNA Journey* (2019), series, Actor
- *Rise of the Footsoldier 4: Marbella* (2019), as Mr. Harris (archive footage) (uncredited)
- *Brighton* (2019), as Derek
- *Great in Britain: The Movie* (2019), as Ronnie
- *Pitching In* (2019), series, as Frank
- *Larry and George Lamb Turkey A to B* (2017), series, Presenter
- *Rise of the Footsoldier 3* (2017), as Mr. Harris
- *Britain by Bike with Larry & George Lamb* (2017), series, Creator
- *The Hatton Garden Job* (2017), as Brian Reader
- *The Briny* (2015), Actor
- *Love and Marriage* (2013), series, as Tommy Sutherland
- *Two Minutes* (2011), as William
- *Blood: The Last Vampire* (2009), as General McKee
- *Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special 2008* (2008), as Mick Shipman
- *Gavin & Stacey* (2007), series, as Mick Shipman — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/gavin-and-stacey.md)
- *Celebrity Scissorhands* (2006), series, Actor
- *Deadlines* (2005), as Paul Baker
- *One of the Hollywood Ten* (2002), as Will Geer
- *Spooks* (2002), series, as Iain Kallis — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/spooks.md)
- *Murphy's Law* (2001), series, as George Garvey — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/murphys-law.md)
- *Essex Boys* (2000), as Peter Chase
- *The Blonde Bombshell* (1999), series, as Will Humphreys
- *Place Vendôme* (1998), as Christopher Makos
- *Supply and Demand* (1998), series, as DS Simon Hughes
- *The Missing Postman* (1997), series, as Trevor Ramsay
- *The Missing Postman* (1997), as Trevor Ramsay
- *Midsomer Murders* (1997), series, as Melvyn Stockard — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/midsomer-murders.md)
- *Strangers* (1996), series, as Leonard
- *Silent Witness* (1996), series, Actor
- *Annie's Bar* (1996), series, as Terry Dunning
- *Our Friends in the North* (1996), series, as Alan Roe — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/our-friends-in-the-north.md)
- *Carrying Dad* (1995), as Frank
- *The Wimbledon Poisoner* (1994), series, as Dr. Donald Templeton
- *Doggin' Around* (1994), as Ken
- *White Goods* (1994), as Jonnie Dow
- *A Touch of Frost* (1992), series, as Mike Ross — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/a-touch-of-frost.md)
- *Fool's Gold: The Story Of The Brink's Mat Robbery* (1992), as Kenneth Noye
- *Get Back* (1992), series, as Albert Sweet
- *Between the Lines* (1992), series, as Dennis Ralston
- *Broke* (1991), as Ron Bannister
- *In Suspicious Circumstances* (1991), series, as Weldon Atherstone
- *A Little Piece of Sunshine* (1990), as Desmond Hannah
- *The Paradise Club* (1989), series, as James Dexter
- *Screen One* (1989), series, as Ken
- *Twist of Fate* (1989), series, as Davi
- *Buster* (1988), as Bruce Reynolds
- *Hearts of Fire* (1987), as Jack Rosner
- *Harry's Kingdom* (1987), as Terry Stewart
- *The Devil's Disciple* (1987), as The Sergeant
- *Ubac* (1987), as Larry
- *Casualty* (1986), series, as Father Peter Harker — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/casualty.md)
- *Sunday Premiere* (1986), series, as Terry Stewart
- *ScreenPlay* (1986), series, as Ron Bannister
- *Lovejoy* (1986), series, as Gerald Somers
- *Underworld* (1985), as Roy Bain
- *Theatre Night* (1985), series, as The Sergeant
- *Shadey* (1985), as Dick Darnley
- *Christopher Columbus* (1985), series, as Don Castillo
- *EastEnders* (1985), series, as Archie Mitchell — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/eastenders.md)
- *Mon Ami Washington* (1984), as Ben Carlson
- *Taggart* (1983), series, Actor
- *Superman III* (1983), as 2nd Miner — Fi1m 49, [page](https://film.one/film/superman-iii.md)
- *A Gift of Tongues* (1982), as Albert
- *Saturday Night Thriller* (1982), series, as Albert
- *Triangle* (1981), series, as Matt Taylor
- *Dead Man's Kit* (1980), as CPO Chalkey White
- *Fox* (1980), series, as Joey Fox
- *Fox* (1980), as Joey Fox
- *Minder* (1979), series, as Greg Collins — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/minder.md)
- *Superman* (1978), as 1st Reporter
- *Armchair Thriller* (1978), series, as CPO Chalky White
- *The Professionals* (1977), series, as Jack Craine
- *The New Avengers* (1976), series, as Williams
- *Horse Latitudes* (1975), Actor
- *Brawler*, as 'King' Joe Rawlins
- *3 of a Kind*, as Lord Ralph Barrington-Smythe

## Gallery

- ![Larry Lamb](https://film.one/media/person/101473/gallery-669e582cedc9.jpg) Larry Lamb — Image via TMDB
- ![Larry Lamb](https://film.one/media/person/101473/gallery-db54c8309bdb.jpg) Larry Lamb — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/larry-lamb