Fans of BBC soap star floored after realising Hollywood brother helped her bag big role
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
Fans of the popular BBC soap, EastEnders, are only just realising that one legendary cast member has a very famous brother in the acting industry who helped her bag her first big role.
Laila Morse, best known for her role of Mo Harris in the beloved soap, made her debut on the programme back in 2000 as the loud matriarch of the Slater family with her famous one-liners.
But what many viewers don't know about Laila is that she didn't make it in the industry until she was 51-years-old- and it was her famous younger brother who helped her get there. Fans were floored when they discovered that Laila, now 79, is the older sister of none other than Hollywood sensation Gary Oldman, reports The Daily Record.
Gary, 67, rose to fame in the mid 1980s and made his acting debut in the film Remembrance in 1982. The actor is best known for his roles in Bram Stoker's Dracula, Immortal Beloved, Sid & Nancy, Batman The Dark Knight and Harry Potter where he plays Sirius Black.
He's had a wildly successful career, having won three British Academy Film Awards, an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for his work.
Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Gary attended drama school as a child while Laila, whose real name is Maureen Oldman, took a very different path as she left school without any qualifications and fell pregnant at 17.
She went on to welcome her two children, Gerry and Tracey, during her first marriage to Gerald Bromfield which ended in 1970 after he was jailed for theft. She remarried to a man named Jimmy Bass who she divorced in 2003 after nine years together.
Laila worked in hospitality and retail before her acting career finally took off later in life and she has previously credited her brother for helping her get her foot in the door by landing her first role in Gary's 1997 Nil By Mouth film.
She then made her TV debut in two episodes of The Bill, as well as TV production of Great Expectations.
She previously told Loose Women: "My big brother wrote and directed Nil by Mouth. He just wanted something raw. He was with a friend and he just said, 'she could do that'. I just looked at him and went what? I can't do that.
"He said, 'Come back to the hotel and read a bit', which I did...and he went, 'right you're doing it.' That's the first thing I'd ever done."
Laila then went on to secure her role as 'Big Mo' in the BBC soap in 2000.
She has appeared in the show intermittently for the past two and a half decades, with stints from 2000-2016 and 2018-2022.
Mo returned to Albert Square in May last year on a permanent basis with her great grandson Freddie Slater, who is played by Bobby Brazier.
Laila and her brother Gary are known to be very close with the siblings spending Christmas Day together at Gary's California home in 2018.
In sweet photos, shared by Gary's wife Giselle Schmidt, the family grinned for the camera around the dinner table with another snap showing Laila making a "proper English Christmas dinner" for them to tuck into.
Meanwhile back in 2021, the pair enjoyed a sibling trip to Las Vegas. Taking to her Instagram at the time, Laila shared a snap of her and Gary, writing: 'Throwback to our trip to Las Vegas.'
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
39 minutes ago
- Metro
Hollyoaks confirms dark Clare Devine twist as teens are chilled to the bone
Hollyoaks spoilers follow for Monday's (June 9) episode that is now available to view on Channel 4 streaming. The episode in question will air on E4 on at 7pm. Clare Devine (Gemma Bissix) proved that she's just as evil as ever, delivering a bone-chilling threat to Dillon Ray (Nathaniel Dass), Frankie Osborne (Isabelle Smith) and Vicky Grant (Anya Lawrence). The legendary soap villain, who staged a historic comeback 'from the dead' earlier this month, tracked the teens down to 67 Christleton Terrace, determined to ensure they keep shtum about the details of their trafficking ordeal. Walking into the property in her signature red high heels, Clare removed pictures of Misbah Maalik (Harvey Virdi), Nancy Osborne (Jessica Fox) and Donny Clark (Louis Emerick) from her handbag, informing the trio that she has 'eyes and ears' everywhere. Frankie, Dillon and Vicky reeled in shock as Clare ordered them to keep quiet about her and Grace Black's (Tamara Wall) roles in their exploitation nightmare, otherwise she would make them – and their families – 'disappear.' The unsettling threat came just hours after Clare revealed to the village that she's alive and well – despite the fact that everyone who dwells in Hollyoaks believed her to be dead. It seems that living in the shadows has hardened Clare further, with the character having been pulling much of the strings of the trafficking operation. And her ruthlessness is something that Grace is set to find out the hard way, with Clare hellbent on revenge after she discovers her sister gave Tori back to the Blakes. Discussing what's to come, actress Gemma Bissix told Metro: 'Grace says she let Tori go to the shops on her own and the Blakes have just snatched her. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! 'And then there is a lovely and really emotional scene where Grace has a load of regret – she looks at Clare, having not realised how much she cares about Tori: 'You've never cared about anyone but yourself'. More Trending 'When Clare finds out from Dodger that Grace was the one who gave Tori to them, that is when Clare turns into Clare.' Consider us intrigued . View More » Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 6am on Channel 4's streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: All 25 soap spoilers for next week as Emmerdale confirms John police twist MORE: All Hollyoaks spoilers for next week as character death is confirmed MORE: The Hollyoaks moment Grace Black is arrested – but an unexpected outcome follows
Metro
40 minutes ago
- Metro
Emmerdale reveals tragic Cain update in ITVX streaming release
The following article contains spoilers from an episode of Emmerdale that hasn't aired on ITV1 yet, but can be viewed on ITVX. Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) continued to face Tracy Shankley's (Amy Walsh) angry wrath as a new week began in Emmerdale. Last week, Cain discovered that his son Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter) had been murdered and understandably, he struggled to process the news. Prior to his death, Nate had a fight with Cain over the rumour he was sleeping with Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb). He was then killed by John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), but his family believed that he had gone to Shetland. Cain eventually gave up on Nate, accepting that he no longer wanted anything to do with his family in the village and little girl Frankie. Of course, learning the truth about his son has made Cain feel utterly terrible – and matters have been made even worse due to Tracy accusing him of killing Nate. John was questioned by the detective in tonight's episode, but it wasn't because he had been accused of murder. He managed to back up Cain's story from Nate's final day in the village, revealing he went to the hospital immediately after the barn fire to see Moira, who had been caught up in the ordeal. More Trending It added fuel to the theory that Cain was innocent but it wasn't enough to sway Tracy. Throughout the entire instalment, she remained convinced that Cain killed his own son. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! That afternoon, John found Cain at the garage attempting to fix a bike. The beloved character broke down and admitted that it feels like he can't grieve for Nate because of Tracy and the constant police interference. John asserted that the police would be off Cain's back soon, and then spied Frankie's playhouse in the garden of Tracy's. An idea forming, John will soon plant Nate's phone in Frankie's playhouse. The police will search the premises and find the phone, therefore taking the heat off Cain and putting it onto Tracy instead. View More » MORE: Another huge Nate discovery is made in Emmerdale that turns everything on its head MORE: The police corner Vanessa in huge Emmerdale murder story MORE: Emmerdale confirms major Nate news in ITVX release – and it changes everything for the 'suspects'
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Coronation Street children left terrified of Sally in heated showdown
Sally Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor) realises she has quite a lot to learn when it comes to fostering in Coronation Street. A few months ago, Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine) became interested in the fostering process, but Sally wasn't so keen. He ended up looking into it alone, and his interest in helping children out grew when he ended up looking after Joanie and Shanice, Lou's (Farrel Hegarty) daughters. When Sally found out, she was understandably furious. Tim tried to make amends with her, but he didn't really have any luck. Sally made her way to the pub and got chatting to Glenda (Jodie Prenger) about Tim's fostering ambition. She worried about being too old, but Glenda managed to make her see that it isn't too late to consider fostering after all. In upcoming episodes, Sally and Tim are feeling hopeful as they discuss their training session with the fostering agency. More Trending In the week, Sally returns home to find Tim looking after Joanie and Shanice again. Sally can't help but point out that she thinks Lou is using Tim, but he believes it's good practice. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! The couple end up arguing, but fail to spot Joanie and Shanice clinging to each other, terrified to hear the two adults shouting. Later, Sally and Tim discuss Joanie and Shanice's life at home. View More » They conclude that they could live in a happier, more stable environment, and become determined to try and help them. MORE: All Coronation Street spoilers for next week as fan-favourite vanishes MORE: All 26 Coronation Street pictures for next week as new scandal set to rock the cobbles MORE: 10 character interactions that need to happen in Coronation Street and Emmerdale crossover
