Larry Lamb, who played Archie Mitchell in the long-running BBC soap, apparently can’t see the “point” in making retirement plans – and it’s all down to the type of profession he’s in
A former EastEnders actor has shared a retirement admission as he opened up about a 20-year health battle. Larry Lamb, who played Archie Mitchell in the long-running BBC soap, recently shared insights into his struggle with nerve damage, a condition for which he’s previously undergone surgery.
He explained that he developed this condition by “doing up houses, building stuff, being active”, but hadn’t taken care of his body, as he emphasised the importance of proper lifting and carrying techniques and a “protective belt”.
Now 78, Larry, also known for his role as Mick Shipman in the BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey, disclosed that he exercises daily, which includes cycling, yoga and swimming, and expressed his desire to live a “long time”.
When it comes to retirement, however, Larry apparently can’t see the “point” in making plans — and it’s all due to the type of profession he’s in, pointing out how somebody once said you “don’t retire” when you’re an actor.
Larry, when asked if he’d considered retirement, told the Western Mail: “I remember sitting around with an older actor, there were a bunch of us youngsters, and one of them said, ‘So what about retiring?’
“He said, ‘You don’t retire as an actor — you just suddenly realise that the phone doesn’t ring anymore’.” He summed it up by saying “there’s no point deciding you’re going to retire”.
Similarly, after the final episode of Gavin and Stacey aired last year, Larry said he was receiving inquiries about work opportunities, but claimed everyone wanted to give him roles involving an “old people’s home”. He stressed he doesn’t want to be “put in that box”.
In July, Larry revealed to the Mail that he had been thinking about his own mortality. He disclosed that, as he’s aged, he’s been thinking about how much he loves life, but the more he does it, the more he will “think about death”.
In the interview, Larry, who reportedly splits his time between his homes in London and Normandy, told the publication that he and a friend will spend time tidying up graves.
Yet this task has also seen him “thinking more about facing it”. He said: “It all started me thinking more about facing it realistically, because sadly, I don’t want to sign up for that bit at all, but in the end you are going to have to.”
Larry went on to discuss his four children — George, Vanessa, Eloise and Eva — and the importance of Mother’s and Father’s Day to them.
He explained: “It just becomes more and more obvious to me that it’s an opportunity for them to write me a card or a letter and to tell me exactly how much they love me, and why.
“So I sat there basking in their love, in the sunshine and just realising how lucky I was, and what makes me, and drives me to keep doing whatever I can, to stay alive for as long as I can, to give them a dad for as long as I can.”
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