Lenny Henry

Sir Lenny Henry CBE
Henry in The Comedy of Errors (2011)
Born	Lenworth George Henry (1958-08-29) 29 August 1958 (age 65) Dudley, The Midlands, England
Education	W. R. Tuson College Open University (BA) Royal Holloway, University of London (MA, PhD)
Occupations	Actor comedian singer presenter writer
Years active	1975–present
Known for	The Lenny Henry Show Chef! Comic Relief
Spouse	Dawn French ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 2010)​
Partner	Lisa Makin (since 2012)
Children	1

Sir Lenworth George Henry CBE (born 29 August 1958)^[1] is a British actor, comedian, singer, television presenter and writer.

Henry gained success as a stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, culminating in The Lenny Henry Show in 1984. He was the most prominent black British comedian of the time and much of his material served to celebrate and parody his African-Caribbean roots.

In 1985, he co-founded the charity Comic Relief with the comedy screenwriter Richard Curtis.^[2] He has appeared in numerous other TV programmes, including children's entertainment show Tiswas, sitcom Chef! and The Magicians for BBC One, and in his later years has transitioned toward acting roles on stage and screen. He appears in the Amazon Prime series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.^[3]

Henry is the chancellor of Birmingham City University.^[4] Recently he announced his planned retirement from the position at the end of the 2023‍–‍24 academic year after 8 years in the post.^[5]