Larry Lamb has dismissed fears that AI could take over the acting industry, insisting ‘artificial stupidity’ will never be a threat to stars with talent.
In recent years, Hollywood has been left uneasy by the rise in artificial intelligence, with the industry brought to a standstill in 2023 when strikes were held rallying against the technology.
Yet in a chat with Daily Mail, Larry claimed it’s not been a concern of his, with the EastEnders star, 78, stating: ‘Creative people aren’t going to be fazed out by AI, not people with real talent.
‘AI doesn’t get jokes, it doesn’t get irony. You write out a straightforward question and it comes back with “I don’t understand your question.
‘Well, how intelligent is that? That’s artificial stupidity. A real person would understand the question straight away.
‘The fault with AI is that some human being programmes it, and they don’t programme it in a way that they don’t look stupid. So I can’t see that people with talent of any kind really are going to be put out of the picture.’
Larry Lamb has dismissed fears that AI could take over the acting industry, insisting ‘artificial stupidity’ will never be a threat to stars with talent
Larry’s comments come in stark contrast to the actors who have previously warned that the technology risked making them obsolete.
AI was reportedly used to make Harrison Ford look younger in the Indiana Jones film, while ITV’s Deep Fake Neighbour Wars – used controversial deep fake technology to turn impressionists into celebrities.
Val Kilmer has also been able to feature in an upcoming film posthumously after AI ‘brought him back to life’ to finish a project he hadn’t completed before his death from throat cancer.
Actors have voiced concerns that studios could replace actors and professional stuntmen and women by making it look as if the actors are performing when they are not.
It’s also widely predicted that AI programs will one day be able to create digitally the entire cast for a film. All of it so much cheaper than using real people.
Fran Drescher, president of the 160,000-member SAG-AFTRA union, bluntly warned at the time of the strikes: ‘We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines.’
While Larry is not concerned by the developments he is slowly stepping back from screens after he made the decision to ‘semi-retire’ from acting.
The actor has decided to slow down in recent years and focus on his first love, poetry.
Speaking to Daily Mail, Larry revealed he returned to writing poems after a 40-year break and that it has helped him verbalise his thoughts about death.
He mused: ‘I’m writing about all different things, about getting to be an old man and facing the fact that death is not so far away anymore, it’s getting closer all the time.
‘It helps me to be realistic about mortality and having said goodbye to immortality.
‘I’ve got two jobs on this year so it’s not like I’m stopping acting, I’m just really enjoying being a semi-retired actor who’s writing poetry.
‘The stuff that I’ve written comes right from my soul. There’s no need to be trying to be anybody else.’
Recently, Val Kilmer has also been able to feature in an upcoming film posthumously after AI ‘brought him back to life’ (pictured) to finish a project he hadn’t completed before his death
Larry continued: ‘I’ve spent 50 years being an actor. I’m here as Larry Lamb, not as Archie Mitchell, not as Mick Shipman, not as the 500 other people I’ve played over the years.
‘So doing poetry for people is like laying your heart out on the line, it’s fabulous. You’re not saying anybody else’s script. This is me representing me.’
Reflecting on his career, Larry continued: ‘I’ve had the most extraordinary life, so there are highlights in every corner of my life.
‘Then all of a sudden, right when I’m pushing the wrong side of the wrong side of 70, if you want to look at it that way, I get this amazing burst of good fortune with Gavin & Stacey erupting into people’s lives.
‘Of all the bad guys I’ve played, and the heavies, and gangsters and nasty businessmen, I finished up playing dear old Mick Shipman, who half the population of this country would like to have as their dad!’
Now Larry is gearing up for his appearance at Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words next week.
Inspired by the opening lines of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, this year’s theme, The Age of Wisdom and Foolishness, explores how words shape the way we understand the world around us in today’s era of technological advancement, economic uncertainty and an evolving global conversation.
Across more than 40 events, audiences will hear from bestselling authors, renowned journalists and influential thinkers on topics such as politics and current affairs, fiction, memoir, journalism and history.
Larry is set to appear with Gyles Brandreth for a live recording of his podcast, Rosebud, reflecting on childhood memories and the experiences that shaped his life and career.
Speaking about their friendship, Larry said: ‘We’ve met around the business over the last three or four years several times, and we always had time to have a joke with each other and really enjoyed each other’s company.
‘So we’re going to do this podcast in front of an audience, and I’m really looking forward to it, I think he is as well!’
Larry added: ‘The lineup this year is absolutely extraordinary and it’s not just about literature, it’s not just about books, it’s about politics.
‘It’s about getting people in that are commenting on things that are going on that are so important to us all right now.’
Further information about the Festival of Words can be found on the Fleet Street Quarter website www.fleetstreetquarter.co.uk/festival-of-words-2026
Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketsource.co.uk/festival-of-words-2026
