Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry has been a comedian since the age of 16.
He has risen from being a cult star on children’s television to becoming one of Britain’s best known television performers, as well as a writer, philanthropist and award-winning stage actor.
Lenny has risen from being a cult star on children’s television to becoming one of Britain’s best known television performers, as well as a writer, philanthropist and award-winning stage actor. Lenny’s recent acting screen credits include The Witcher: Blood Origin, Rings of Power, Broadchurch, The Syndicate and the biographic film Danny and The Human Zoo. In theatre, Lenny has starred in The Comedy of Errors at The National, Fences at the Duchess Theatre, The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui at the Donmar Warehouse and Every Brilliant Thing at Soho Theatre.
As one of the co-founders and public face of Comic Relief he has played a central role in the charity raising over £1 billion since 1985. Lenny is a leading advocate for diversity in the arts and has established a centre for Media Diversity at Birmingham City University, written two books on the topic and co-hosted the podcast Black British Lives Matter. He was awarded a Knighthood in 2015 for services to drama and charity and was a Trustee of the National Theatre from 2016 to 2023.
Lenny has written two memoirs’ with Faber alongside a series of children’s books published through Pan Macmillan. In 2023, his "innovative" ITV1 drama series Three Little Birds received critical acclaim as did his five star, one man play August in England which Lenny wrote and performed in at The Bush Theatre.
Recently, Lenny established his new drama production company Esmerelda with the support of Banijay.
Other
| The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht, in a new adaptation by Bruce Norris, Donmar Warehouse | Arturo Ui | 2017-01-01 |
| O.T.T. | Performer | 1981-01-01 |
| King Hedley II | Actor | 2019-01-01 |
| Who Am I Again? | Writer | 2019-01-01 |
| Golden Rose of Montreux | 2001-01-01 | |
| New Faces | Performer | 1975-01-01 |
| South Bank Show ITV | 1988-01-01 | |
| First Love Sky Arts | 2010-01-01 | |
| Charlie And The Big Chill | 1999-01-01 | |
| Comic Relief | Presenter | 1985-01-01 |
| Neverwhere BBC1 | Writer | 1996-01-01 |
| Comic Relief | Co-founder | 1985-01-01 |
| Matilda BBC Radio 4 | Narrator | 2009-01-01 |
| Coast To Coast | Performer | 1990-01-01 |
| The Magicians BBC 1 | Host | 2011-01-01 |
| Othello BBC Radio 4 | Performer | 2010-01-01 |
| The Summer Show | Performer | 1975-01-01 |
| White Goods ITV | Performer | 1994-01-01 |
| The Fosters LWT | Performer | 1975-01-01 |
| The Bafta Awards | Presenter | 1997-01-01 |
| Bad Faith BBC Radio 4 | Performer | 2008-01-01 |
| Bad Faith BBC Radio 4 | Performer | 2010-01-01 |
| Goodbye Mr Steadman ITV | Roy | 2001-01-01 |
| TISWAS Central TV | Performer | 1978-01-01 |
| Lennyhenry.tv BBC1 | Presenter | 2006-01-01 |
| Who Am I Again? Faber&Faber | Writer | 2019-01-01 |
| God of Carnage BBC Radio 4 | Various | 2015-01-01 |
| Lenny's Britain BBC1 | Presenter | 2007-01-01 |
| True Identity Charles Lane | Performer | 1991-01-01 |
| BBC British Personality of the Year | 1993-01-01 | |
| Three Of A Kind BBC1 | Performer | 1981-01-01 |
| Talking Comedy BBC Radio 2 | Presenter | 2004-01-01 |
| Lenny and Will BBC Radio 4 | Presenter | 2006-01-01 |
| Alive And Kicking BBC1 | Performer | 1991-01-01 |
| Happy Birthday OU BBC4 | Presenter | 2009-01-01 |
| Famous Fred Channel 4 | voice-over | 1996-01-01 |
| Raising the Bar BBC Radio 4 | Presenter | 2015-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry Tonite BBC1 | Performer | 1986-01-01 |
| Pick of the Year BBC Radio 4 | Presenter | 2007-01-01 |
| The Man Screen One/BBC1 | Performer | 1999-01-01 |
| The One Lenny Henry BBC1 | Performer | 2012-01-01 |
| Lord of The Rings Amazon | Performer | 2020-01-01 |
| Anansi Boys BBC World Service | Performer | 2007-01-01 |
| Chef! (Series 1 - 3) BBC1 | Performer | 1993-01-01 |
| Lennyhenry.tv series BBC1 | Presenter | 2008-01-01 |
| The Funk Show BBC6 Music | Guest Presenter | 2004-01-01 |
| Peter And The Wolf EMI Classics | Narrator | 2000-01-01 |
| Lenny Go Home ITV | Writer / Performer | 1991-01-01 |
| Bernard And The Genie BBC1 | Performer | 1991-01-01 |
| Rudy's Rare Records BBC Radio 4 | Performer | 2008-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry: In Dreams BBC1 | Performer | 1991-01-01 |
| BFM Awards | Winner of the Inspiration Award | 2002-01-01 |
| Danny and the Human Zoo BBC One | Samson | 2015-01-01 |
| Lenny and Will: Act 2 BBC Radio 4 | Presenter | 2006-01-01 |
| What's So Great About? BBC Radio 4 | Presenter | 2008-01-01 |
| Anansi Boys - Unabridged version Harper Audio | 2005-01-01 | |
| Lenny's Big Amazon Adventure BBC1 | Artist | 1997-01-01 |
| I'm Still The Same Paul BBC Radio 3 | Performer | 2010-01-01 |
| Hope & Glory (Series 1 - 3) BBC1 | Performer | 1999-01-01 |
| Lenny Goes To Town BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 1998-01-01 |
| The Government Inspector BBC Radio 4 | Khlestekov | 2017-01-01 |
| Lenny's Atlantic Adventure BBC1 | Documentary | 2000-01-01 |
| Comic Strip Presents 'Oxford' BBC2 | Performer | 1990-01-01 |
| The Lenny Henry Show BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 1995-01-01 |
| The Lenny Henry Show BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 2004-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry's Got The Blues Sky Arts | Himself | 2015-01-01 |
| Lenny's Perfect Night In Channel 4 | Presenter | 2007-01-01 |
| Live And Unleashed Andy Harries | Writer / Performer | 1989-01-01 |
| You Can Do Anything, Tyrone. Pan Macmillan | Writer | 2020-01-01 |
| The Delbert Wilkins Show BBC1 | Delbert Wilkins | 1987-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry Gets Wild BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 1996-01-01 |
| Big & Small BBC2 / Ceebies | Big & Small (Voice) | 2008-01-01 |
| CRADLE TO RAVE Tour of the UK | 2011-01-01 | |
| The Lenny Henry Special BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 1988-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry's Comedy Heroes Channel 5 | Presenter | 2005-01-01 |
| New Soul Nation Channel 4 | Documentary Presenter | 1993-01-01 |
| Rudy's Rare Records - Series 2 BBC Radio 4 | Performer | 2009-01-01 |
| BROADCHURCH Series 3 Kudos for ITV | Ed Burnett | 2016-01-01 |
| Outstanding Newcomer | Evening Standard Theatre Awards | 2009-01-01 |
| What's So Great About? Series 2 BBC Radio 4 | Presenter | 2010-01-01 |
| The Long Song Heyday Television for BBC 1 | Godfrey | 2018-01-01 |
| The Golden Nymph Award | Monte Carlo Television Festival | 1992-01-01 |
| Comedy of Errors National Theatre | 2012-01-01 | |
| This Is My Life BBC1 | Writer / Documentary Presenter | 2003-01-01 |
| Rudy's Rare Records Hackney Empire | 2014-01-01 | |
| Have You Seen This Man EMI | Live recording of 2001 UK Tour | 2002-01-01 |
| The Lenny Henry Show Special BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 1996-01-01 |
| Large '99 UK Tour | One-man Stand-up | 1999-01-01 |
| FENCES Duchess Theatre | Troy Maxson | 2013-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry Christmas Special BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 1987-01-01 |
| The Lenny Henry Christmas Show BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 1994-01-01 |
| The Lenny Henry Christmas Show BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 1995-01-01 |
| Fences Duchess Theatre | Troy Maxson | 2013-01-01 |
| Live at the Apollo Hammersmith Apollo | 2010-01-01 | |
| The Lenny Henry Show - series 2 BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 2005-01-01 |
| Harry and Paul series 3 BBC1/ Tiger Aspect | Cassins Clay | 2010-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry In Pieces (Series II) BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 2003-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry In Pieces (Series I) BBC1, | Writer / Performer | 2002-01-01 |
| Where you From? Tour of UK | One-man Show | 2007-01-01 |
| Little Robots BBC1/Ceebies | Voice of Sporty and title song | 2003-01-01 |
| The Syndicate (Series 3) Rollem Pictures for BBC1 | Godfrey | 2015-01-01 |
| Loud! Tour of Australia | One-man Stand-up | 1995-01-01 |
| South Bank Show - 'Hunt The Funk' ITV | Documentary Presenter | 1992-01-01 |
| The Lenny Henry Show (Series 1 - 2) BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 1984-01-01 |
| Larger Than Life UK Tour | One-man Stand-up | 1996-01-01 |
| Loud! Nationwide UK Tour | One-man Stand-up | 1994-01-01 |
| South Bank Show - 'Darker Than Me' ITV | Documentary Presenter | 1994-01-01 |
| Comic Strip Presents 'South Atlantic Raiders' BBC2 | Performer | 1990-01-01 |
| Othello Trafalgar Studios - London | Othello | 2009-01-01 |
| Othello Northern Broadsides/WYP Tour | Othello | 2009-01-01 |
| Alive And Kicking | Monaco Red Cross, Monte Carlo Television Festival | 1992-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry In Pieces Christmas Special BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 2000-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry In Pieces Christmas Special BBC1 | Writer / Performer | 2001-01-01 |
| King Hedley Theatre Royal Straford East | Actor | 2019-01-01 |
| Have You Seen This Man UK Tour | One-man Stand-up | 2001-01-01 |
| Who Am I Again? UK Tour | (Writer/Lead Performer) | 2019-01-01 |
| Black Entertainment Comedy Awards | Winner of Lifetime Achievement Award | 2003-01-01 |
| British Comedy Awards Winner of Lifetime Achievement Award (Perf) | Winner | 2003-01-01 |
| BAFTA Alan Clarke Award for Outstanding Contribution to Television | Winner | 2016-01-01 |
| Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban Alfonso Cuaron | Voice of Shrunken Heads | 2004-01-01 |
| One-man Stand-up Windsor Arts Centre | One-man Stand-up | 2003-01-01 |
| Party At The Palace - The Queen's Concert Live concert on BBC1 | Presenter | 2002-01-01 |
| Educating Rita Chichester Festival Theatre | Frank Bryant | 2015-01-01 |
| So Much Things To Say Tour of UK | One Man Show / Co-Writer | 2004-01-01 |
| Where you From? Tour of Australia & New Zealand | One-man Show | 2008-01-01 |
| Who Am I Again? Phil McIntyre Ent / UK Tour | Writer / Performer | 2019-01-01 |
| Lenny Henry Large! Tour of Australia and New Zealand | One-man Stand-up | 1998-01-01 |
| So Much Things To Say - Warm-up gigs Wyndhams Theatre | One Man Show / Co-Writer | 2003-01-01 |
| So Much Things To Say Tour of Australia and New Zealand | One Man Show / Co-Writer | 2004-01-01 |
| Montreal Just for Laughs Festival - Britcom Gala Montreal Just for Laughs Festival | Host | 2005-01-01 |
| August in England The Bush Theatre | August | 2023-01-01 |
| The Witcher Netflix | Chief Druid Balor | 2023-01-01 |
| Lord of the Rings Amazon | Sadoc Burrows | 2022-01-01 |
| SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters ITV | Self | 2025-01-01 |
| Every Brilliant Thing Soho Theatre | Performer | 2025-01-01 |
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