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United Kingdom Lenny Henry has established a distinguished career as a comedian, actor, and writer, co-founding Comic Relief and appearing in numerous notable film, television, and stage productions.
Banijay UK has invested in Esmerelda, a new scripted production venture from actor, comedian, and writer Sir Lenny Henry. This partnership aims to support Henry's new drama production company.
Sir Lenny Henry co-founded Comic Relief, alongside comedy writer Richard Curtis. Over three decades, the charity has raised over £1 billion for various causes, with Henry being a prominent figure and host of its annual telethons.
Lenny Henry became the face of budget hotel operator Premier Inn in 2008, appearing in their advertising campaigns. One notable advert in 2010 parodied a scene from "The Shining."
Lenny Henry used his character Theophilus P. Wildebeeste to advertise Alpen muesli.
Lenny Henry promoted the non-alcoholic lager Kaliber.
Lenny Henry portrayed Saint Peter in advertising campaigns for Virgin Mobile in South Africa.
Lenny Henry appeared in advertisements for butter products commissioned by the company now known as Fonterra in New Zealand.
Lenworth George Henry was born on August 29, 1958, in Dudley, West Midlands, England, to Jamaican immigrant parents. He made his television debut at 16 on the talent show “New Faces” in 1975, which he won. His early career included appearances on “The Fosters” (1976) and “Tiswas” (1978–1981), where his comedic talent became evident. He joined the alternative-comedy collective “The Comic Strip” in 1980, where he met future wife Dawn French. This period marked a turning point, as he transitioned into stand-up comedy and developed characters that both celebrated and parodied African-Caribbean British culture, such as DJ Delbert Wilkins.
In 1984, “The Lenny Henry Show” premiered on the BBC, solidifying his status as a prominent comedian. A significant milestone in his career was co-founding the charity Comic Relief in 1985 with Richard Curtis, leading to the first Red Nose Day in 1988, which raised over £15 million. He pursued acting roles in the 1990s, starring in the Hollywood film “True Identity” (1991) and the BBC comedy series “Chef!” (1993–1996). His work extended to drama with “Hope and Glory” (1999) and notable voice roles, including the Shrunken Head in “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004) and Sporty in “Little Robots.”
Later in his career, Henry expanded into serious acting, earning critical acclaim for his stage debut as Othello in 2009 at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. He continued his theatrical success with appearances in Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” (2011) at the Royal National Theatre and “Fences” (2013) on a UK tour. In television, he has appeared in “Doctor Who” (2019), “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (2022), and penned the six-part drama series “Three Little Birds” (2023) based on his mother’s Windrush experience. He was appointed a CBE in 1999 and knighted in 2015 for services to drama and charity, and served as Chancellor of Birmingham City University from 2016.
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