David Morrissey, the 61-year-old actor known for roles in The Walking Dead and Sherwood, has spoken candidly about his battle with alcoholism and his amicable separation from his ex-wife, author Esther Freud. The star, who appears in the new Channel 4 thriller Tip Toe, revealed he has been sober for 21 years after a pivotal moment with Alcoholics Anonymous.
In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Morrissey said: 'I am a recovering alcoholic. Drinking first was about anxiety. I've had this terrible social anxiety and that helped me get through it.' He explained that his drinking started in his teenage years after his father's death and escalated in adulthood, leading him to drink alone in pubs, which strained his relationship with his then-wife.
The actor described reaching a 'terrible, terrible state' before contacting a former colleague linked to Alcoholics Anonymous, whose contact details he had kept for two years. 'He came round my house and just sat with me. And I've not drank since that day,' Morrissey recalled.
Morrissey met Esther Freud at drama school in 1993, and they married in 2006 at Southwold Pier. The couple, who have three children, separated amicably in 2020 after 14 years of marriage and 27 years together. Freud, now 63, told Hello! magazine: 'There wasn't a huge amount of animosity or grievance really left. I felt it was more that our communication had gone awry.'
Despite the split, Morrissey said they remain close: 'We're all very close. My ex-wife and I are very close ... we all see each other a lot.' The actor has since been linked to theatrical agent Larah Simpson, first spotted together in December 2023.
Tip Toe, a five-part thriller created by Russell T. Davies, premieres on Channel 4 on Sunday, May 31. Morrissey plays Clive, an electrician who becomes bitter enemies with his neighbour Leo, played by Alan Cumming.
