Mo Harris, affectionately known as Big Mo, has been a staple of EastEnders since she first set foot on Albert Square in 2000. As the matriarch of the Slater family, Big Mo is the grandmother to the legendary Kat Slater, as well as former characters Little Mo and Lynne.
Laila Morse, who plays Big Mo, has been involved in numerous gripping storylines over the years, from her rivalry with ex-best friend Pat Butcher (played by Pam St Clement) to an ongoing love affair with the seldom-seen Fat Elvis. In recent times, Big Mo has become more laid-back, often appearing to crack witty remarks or sell items of questionable quality to Albert Square's residents.
Recently, viewers have seen Big Mo attempting to unravel the mystery of who assaulted Cindy on Christmas Day, dubbing the assailant the 'Walford Whacker'. However, what many EastEnders enthusiasts may not realise is that Laila isn't the only actor in her family. The hint to her famous brother's identity can be found in her birth name.
Born Maureen L Oldman, she later changed her surname to Bass due to marriage, before adopting a stage name when she embarked on her professional acting career at the age of 51. Laila's younger sibling is none other than Gary Oldman, one of the highest grossing actors of all time and winner of an Oscar in 2018 for his depiction of Winston Churchill in the film Darkest Hour.
Gary has shared the screen with some of the biggest stars in the industry, starring alongside Winona Ryder and Anthony Hopkins on Bram Stoker's Dracula in 1992, and portraying Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films. Gary Oldman didn't just make a name for himself in Hollywood; he also gave his sister, Laila Morse, her acting break by casting her in his 1997 directorial debut, 'Nil By Mouth'. This role led to Laila winning the Most Promising Newcomer award at the British Independent Film Awards and paved the way for her TV career, which soon saw her cast in EastEnders.
Even Laila's stage name has an A-list backstory, as it was dreamed up by none other than Italian actor Isabella Rossellini when she was Gary. "Laila Morse" is an anagram of "mia sorella", which translates from Italian as "my sister". The revelation has sent EastEnders fans into a frenzy on X, previously known as Twitter. One fan exclaimed, "I will NEVER get over the face that Gary Oldman's sister is Big Mo from Eastenders" while another shared their astonishment, saying: "Wrecks my head that Gary's sister is big Mo in Eastenders. What wildly differing acting careers.".
