Larry Lamb said Archie Mitchell is based on his father

Archie Mitchell based on actor's father

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

Larry Lamb bases evil Archie Mitchell on his own father.

The 'EastEnders' actor claims it was a natural decision to base scheming Archie on his dad, Ronald, as he spent his entire childhood terrified of him.

He said: "From the start I based Archie Mitchell on my father.

"My dad was a very screwed up man and emotionally damaged from his childhood. He had a terrible relationship with his own father and I imagine it was the same for the generations before that.

"Just like Archie, my dad was absolutely convinced of his rightness and his sanity and thought he was completely justified in everything he did. Everybody else is at fault, but he's fine.

"Archie is the same. As far as he's concerned, he's perfectly sane. But the truth is, he's twisted. That twisted, dark, nasty side of me comes from my father.

"He was a skilled psychological bully. He would loom over me and threaten, threaten, threaten. I lived in fear of him. He was a crazy man."

Larry's relationship with Ronald deteriorated to such an extent that he had not seen him for 15 years when he died last year. Larry did not attend the funeral.

The 62-year-old actor's parents split when he was nine, but he has vivid memories of the way Ronald treated his mum.

He told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "I remember when I was eight or nine, hearing my mum sobbing. I looked through the glass doors of our little house and I saw her standing there, weeping.

"On top of her head was a cone-shaped pile of tea leaves and she had hot tea dripping down her hair, on to her face and mixing in with the tears.

"I remember the steam coming up from her head and she was just stood there crying. My dad was roaring round the house, like a maniac."