Born:
August 29, 1958
in
Dudley
Best Known For:
His array of loud characters in the Lenny Henry Show.
Early-life:
Lenworth George Henry was born August 29, 1958, in Dudley, West Midlands, one of seven children. He's immensely proud of his late parents, mother Winnie and factory worker father Winston, both from Jamaica. He went to Bluecoats School where he gained seven CSEs. Inspired by science teacher James Brooks, who recognised his natural comic ability, he made a bid for showbusiness, winning New Faces at 16 thanks to his impressions.
Career:
Henry's sitcom debut was The Fosters in 1976. A smooth progression to stardom followed in the anarchic children's Saturday morning programme Tiswas, then Three of a Kind, Lenny Henry Tonite, and Chef! He impressed movie bosses in the States with 1989 stand-up film Lenny Live and Unleashed, but when True Identity flopped in 1991, he returned to the UK. He subsequently reinvented himself as a serious actor with Alive and Kicking, White Goods, and Hope and Glory, but has since returned to comedy with sketch series Lenny Henry in Pieces and The Lenny Henry Show. His stage debut in Othello was a major success. In November 2011, Henry made his debut at the Royal National Theatre in The Comedy of Errors, and last year starred in a stage version of his radio show Rudy's Rare Records.
Quote:
"It sounds pompous, but I try to ensure there's a level of quality in my work."
Trivia:
Henry has been an outspoken critic of British TV's lack of ethnic diversity in its programming.