Neil Morrissey is returning to our screens in Channel 5's upcoming drama, Love Rat. Previously described as a 'lovable rogue' the actor's colourful romances with Rachel Weisz and Amanda Holden were once the talk of the town, but nowadays, the TV star prefers to keep a low profile.
A family man above all else, Neil, 61, is a proud father of one. Through his first marriage to his Boon co-star, Amanda Noar, the actor welcomed his son Sam in 1989 – and they're like two peas in a pod. Amanda and Neil may have divorced in 1991, two years after Sam was born, but they've managed to make co-parenting look easy.
An extremely private family; in 2001, Sam made a rare red carpet appearance alongside his father, and fans couldn't believe the resemblance. Scoring major cool points, Neil brought his then-teen son to a VIP screening of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, held at the Kensington Roof Gardens in London.
© GettySpeaking to the Guardian in 2002, Neil addressed the highs and lows of being a celebrity parent, explaining that it could be both a blessing and a burden for Sam. "It's great having a famous dad when you get jumped up the queue for the London Eye, but there's always a downside," he said.
"His mates at school can read - and that's hard because, at that age, your knowledge of the universe doesn't really cover the complexities of a badly written tabloid story. But there were kids at drama school whose parents were famous and they couldn't stand the sight of them, so it could go either way."
Neil added: "Your relationship with your children isn't necessarily to do with your public persona - although, while I'm on the telly, I don't suppose he goes around school bragging that his dad had a number one with Bob the Builder."
Despite experiencing the highs and lows of fame, Neil's relationship with Sam has always kept him grounded. Speaking to The Times in 2014, the Men Behaving Badly star reflected on a particularly difficult period in his life. In 1997, Neil lost his brother Stephen to a drug overdose, and three months later, his father passed away too.
© GettyExplaining that he tries to stay in the present, Neil said: "Sure, life could overwhelm you but by then I had a young son and that was a comfort. I'd made a life and I just didn't want to throw it away."
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During the interview, Neil also shared an update on Sam. Raving about his son's achievements, the TV star said: "He's a lovely, handsome, charming, clever boy. He knows my upbringing was different but you know, why the hell should he feel bad about that? You work with what you've got. I've always been a glass half-full type of guy, even when I didn't have a glass."
© GettyNow a screenwriter, Sam added that his adult son had won a scholarship to a private school, going on to receive a first class degree at university. Maybe we'll see them collaborate someday!
