Lenny Henry Movies and Career Information

Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, CBE (born 29 August 1958) is an English actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter. Henry, the son of Jamaican immigrants, was born at Burton Road Hospital in Dudley in 1958. He was a pupil at St John's Primary School and later The Blue Coat School outside Dudley, before completing his education at W.R. Tuson College (now Preston College). Henry's first manager was Robert Luff, who signed him in 1975 and gave him the opportunity to perform as part of the Luff-produced touring stage version of The Black and White Minstrel Show. In July 2009, Lenny Henry stated he was contractually obliged to perform and regretted his part in the show. His earliest television appearance was on the New Faces talent show in 1976 where he repeatedly won. The following year he appeared with Norman Beaton in LWT's sitcom The Fosters, Britain's first comedy series with predominantly black performers. His formative years were in working men's clubs where his act was as a young black man impersonating white characters such as the Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em character Frank Spencer (whom he impersonated on New Faces). He co-hosted the children's programme Tiswas