EastEnders actress Laila Morse has famous film star brother
Also known as 'Big Mo', she has been portrayed by actress Laila Morse in the programme, as well as in the spin-offs Slaters in Detention and Pat and Mo.
She was introduced in 2000 as the matriarch of the Slater family and appeared for 16 years before departing initially.
It wasn't long before she returned, though, as she was reintroduced in 2018 before being written out again in 2021.
However, after a stint of a few episodes in 2022, she was permanently brought back in 2024, alongside great-grandson Freddie (played by Bobby Brazier).
With Mo having been a presence on EastEnders for so long, many fans might be aware her actress Laila Morse has a very famous film star for a brother.
EastEnders actress Laila Morse has a very famous film star brother
Laila's younger brother is Gary Oldman, who won the Oscar for Best Actor back in 2018 for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.
The 67-year-old has appeared in many major films over the years, including in The Fifth Element, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, the Harry Potter series and Oppenheimer, among many others.
Gary was also recently knighted as part of the King's Birthday Honours.
Some might not be aware that Laila's break into acting is in part thanks to Gary, as he cast her in his 1997 film Nil by Mouth.
This was Laila's first foray into acting at the age of 51, and Gary's debut as a filmmaker.
She featured alongside Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke and Charlie Creed-Miles.
Laila's performance as the character of Janet won her the award of 'Most Promising Newcomer in any Category' at the British Independent Film Awards.
Another interesting fact is the link between Gary and the stage name 'Laila Morse', as the actress's real name is Maureen Oldman.
When Gary was in a relationship with Isabella Rossellini, she suggested to Maureen to use 'Laila Morse' as a stage name.
It is an anagram of 'mia sorella', which translates from Italian as 'my sister'.
EastEnders fans love that Laila Morse and Gary Oldman are related
The unique bit of trivia surrounding Laila and Gary being siblings always provides a lot of interest to EastEnders fans.
In a recent post on the EastEnders Reddit page, one person shared images of the two side-by-side saying: "Mo and Gary Oldman being siblings with [sic] never not be funny too me."
One person joked in response: "One is the greatest actor of our generation who has inspired millions and is beloved by all. The other is Gary Oldman."
Another shared: "I always forget. Then I remember. And it always makes me laugh. I don't know why I find it so funny. But I do."
Some people have expressed hope that Gary might make a brief appearance in EastEnders one day due to the link.
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One person on the post commented: "Could Gary Oldman be the Squares ultimate villain? (If all his other acting work dries up)".
Another replied: "It would be so elite, honestly I would love him to appear just for one episode."
A third concurred, writing: "It would be awesome if he turned up on the square as Mo's long lost brother."
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