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Gary Oldman Sister Laila Morse aka Maureen Oldman Is An Actress Known For EastEnders

Author

William Howard

Published Jan 06, 2026

The Darkest Hour actor Gary Oldman sister Laila Morse played Mo Harris in EastEnders. Laila is a professional actress with 17 acting credits.

Gary Oldman is an English professional actor and filmmaker. He started his career in 1979, starring in a theatrical work called Thark.

Further, he has been a part of various plays like Cabaret, Romeo and Juliet, and Privates on Parade.

Oldman made his breakthrough with Saved when fans realized his potential. Later, he was cast as the main lead of The Pope’s Wedding. The 64-year-old has also won several awards, such as Time Out Fringe for best newcomer and the drama theatre award for best actor. 

Over the years, Gary has worked as an actor in over 100 movies, shorts, and videos. The Golden Globe Award-winner has not only worked as an actor but also as a producer and director in The Contender, Nil by Mouth, and others.

Gary Oldman Sister Laila Morse Is Big Mo Actress From EastEnders

Gary Oldman sister Laila Morse is an actor known for her role in the soap opera EastEnders.

Laila played the role of Mo Harris in the British hit show; she made her first appearance on September 18, 2000. 

The series, which started in 1985, discusses the everyday life of the working-class people in Albert Square, a Victorian square surrounded by a park in the East End of the Walford borough in London. The show is ongoing and has been running for over 30 years. 

Mo, played by Laila, is a comical character with a tendency for dodgy deals. Oldman’s sister started to work as one of the main cast from 2000 to 2012. Though the actress’ contract was not renewed, her character was not written out from the show.

Morse continued to make special appearances until January 2016, around four years after her contract ended. 

Later, there was a full-time return of Big Mo in 2018. But, in 2021, it was announced that she would leave the show again.

Laila officially left the show on June 2021.

Mo again returned in August 2022 before leaving in September; she worked in 1237 episodes of Eastenders.

Similarly, Morse has also worked in various other movies and shows such as Nil by Mouth, The Bill, Great Expectations, Honky Sausages, Life of a Lighter, “Love, Honor and Obey,” Power to the People, and The Ninth Cloud.

Laila Morse Real Name Is Maureen Oldman

Actress Laila Morse real name is Maureen Oldman. However, Laila is mostly recognized by her stage moniker.

The filmmaker’s sister decided she would not adopt her real name in the entertainment industry. Maureen’s stage name Laila Morse was suggested by a fellow actress named Isabella Rossellini.

Isabella was dating her brother Gary in 1994, and the couple was also engaged. During this time, his fiance was close to Laila, suggesting a name with a deeper meaning.

As Rossellini was Italian, she gave her a name that is an anagram of Mia Sorella, which translates to my sister in Italian.

The Italian actress thought of Laila as a sister from a different mother and had a special bond with her. Even though Isabella is no longer dating Gary, Laila still goes by the name suggested by her brother’s ex-girlfriend.

Laila Morse Is Older Than Gary Oldman With An Age Gap of 13 Years

The EastEnders actress Laila Morse is the older sibling of the filmmaker Gary Oldman. The brother-sister duo has an age gap of 13 years.

Morse was born on August 1, 1945, whereas Gary Leonard was born on March 21, 1958.

The actress is 77 years old as of 2022, while her brother is 64 years old. Laila’s younger brother gave her first break in Hollywood in 1997 when he worked in his debut movie entitled Nil by Mouth. 

The Great Expectations cast was born in Dorking, Surrey, England, and lived there for a while before moving to South East London. Meanwhile, her brother Gary was born and grew up in South East London.

Even with a huge age gap, the siblings are super close and tight. The duo spends their holidays together and has also gone on some family trips in a private jet to Las Vegas. 

The 77-year-old is also close to her sister-in-law Gisele and is often seen posting pictures of the two on Instagram.

Laila Morse Parents Are Kathleen and Leonard Oldman

The English actress Laila Morse was born to parents Kathleen Oldman and Leonard Oldman. Both of her parents have passed away.

Big Mo of EastEnders’ father Leonard, born in 1921, was a former sailor. He also worked as a welder in the past. 

The 77-year-old was close not to her father as he left the family when she was twenty years old. At the time, her brother was only seven years old, making her family face difficult situations.

The mother of Laila was born in 1919. She was a retired cafe owner who had to work to care for her children after her husband left. 

Maureen’s father passed away in 1985 at the age of 64 years. Her mother passed away at the age of 99 in 2018.

Laila Morse Husband and Family

The 77-year-old Nil by Mouth actress has been married two times. Laila was first married to Gerald and then to James. 

The older sister of Gary married Gerald Bromfield in 1962 when she was only 17 years old. The couple did not have a long-term relationship and divorced in 1970. 

After separating from her ex-husband in 1970, Morse was again married to a guy named James Bass in 1995. Like her first marriage, her second marriage did not last for long as the couple decided to separate. They divorced in the year 2001 after they were married for about six years. 

The EastEnders actress has a son and a daughter with her first husband Gerald Bromfield. Her son’s name is Gerry Bromfield, and he is an actor who worked in Nil by Mouth alongside his mother in the character of a drug dealer in 1997, as per IMDb. 

The former couple’s daughter is Tracy Bromfield. She was born in 1964, two years after their marriage. Not much information about her is known to the public.