What Is Lenny Henry's Net Worth?
Lenny Henry is a British stand-up comedian, actor, television presenter, and writer who has a net worth of $9 million. Lenny Henry starred as Sonny Foster in the series "The Fosters" from 1976 to 1977. He starred in his own series, "The Lenny Henry Show," from 1987 to 1988 as Delbert Wilkins. Henry starred as Gareth on the TV series "Chef!" from 1993 to 1996. From 1999 to 2000, he starred as Ian George on the television series "Hope and Glory." In 2011, Lenny voiced Elephant on the TV series "Tinga Tinga Tales." Henry also starred as Godfrey Watson in the series "The Syndicate" in 2015. He presented the BBC One television series "The Magicians." Henry was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Comedy Awards in 2003.
Early Life
Sir Lenworth George Henry CBE was born on August 29, 1958, in Dudley, West Midlands, England. He is the son of Winston Jervis Henry and Winifred Louise Henry. They named their son after the doctor who delivered him. His parents had emigrated to England from Jamaica. Henry was raised with his six siblings. His mother later revealed that Henry's biological father was Albert Green, another Jamaican immigrant with whom his mother had a relationship when she first arrived from Jamaica. Lenny was able to spend time with Green throughout his childhood. Henry attended St. John's Primary School. He later attended The Blue Coat School in Dudley and then completed his schooling at W.R. Tuson College in Preston, Lancashire.
Career
Henry began his comedy career in the 1970s when he was signed in 1975 by his first manager, Robert Luff. He began performing as a comedian with Luff's touring stage version of "The Black and White Minstrel Show." He remained on the show from ages 16 to 21 and has later stated he regrets his role in the show, as it led to him becoming depressed.
In 1980, Lenny performed in Summer Season in Blackpool with Cannon and Ball. He also began working with the alternative comedy collective The Comic Strip. He then began performing more as a stand-up comedian, which also involved developing various comedic characters. He became quite popular in the United Kingdom around this time, and his comedy albums were selling well. He decided to develop his material into a show. "The Lenny Henry Show" premiered in 1984 on the BBC. It featured stand-up, spoofs, and Henry performing as various characters. The following year, he co-founded the British Comic Relief charity organization.
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Henry began acting more throughout the 1990s. He starred in the Hollywood film "True Identity" and the BBC drama "Alive and Kicking" early in the decade. He also appeared in "Bernard and the Genie," "Chef!," "Hope and Glory," and "Neverwhere," among others. Lenny continued working steadily throughout the 2000s. He voiced a character in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and also read the audiobook version of Neil Gaiman's "Anansi Boys." In 2006, he starred in the BBC series "Barry's Way." He also starred in the show "Rudy's Rare Records" and voiced a character in the film "Penelope."
In the 2010s, Henry made a number of television appearances in shows like "Broadchurch," "The Long Song," and "Doctor Who." In 2022, he was cast as Sadoc Burrows in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." He also appeared in "The Witcher: Blood Origin" the same year. Additionally, he was cast in "The Sandman" as the voice of Martin Tenbones.
Henry has also done some work in theatre. In the 2000s, Henry was introduced to the works of Shakespeare. In February 2009, he appeared in the title role of the Northern Broadsides production of "Othello" at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds. He received widespread critical acclaim for his work. In November 2011, Lenny made his debut at the Royal National Theatre in London in "The Comedy of Errors." He again received positive reviews for his performance.
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In addition to acting, Henry is a published author. He has authored two autobiographies – "Who Am I, Again" and "Rising to the Surface." He has also written two young adult books that feature black main characters, a rarity in the young adult fantasy genre. "The Boy With Wings" tells the story of a boy who sprouts wings and learns to fly, while "The Book of Legends" tells the story of two siblings whose search for their missing mother leads them to discover another world.
Throughout the course of his career, Henry has received a number of awards and honors. At the 1999 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). In 2003, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards. In 2015, Lenny was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity. In July 2016, he became the chancellor of Birmingham City University. The same year, he was made a fellow of the Royal Television Society and was awarded the Alan Clarke Award at the BAFTA TV Awards. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Nottingham Trent University for his significant contribution to British comedy and drama. In 2022, Henry won the Special Recognition award at the 27th National Television Awards.
Personal Life
While working as a comedian in his early career, Henry met Dawn French. They began dating and married in October 1984 in Covent Garden, London. They adopted a child together named Billie. In April 2010, French and Henry announced they were amicably separating after 25 years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized that year.
Lenny returned to school later in his life. He obtained a B.A. in English Literature from the Open University in 2007. In 2010, he obtained an M.A. in Screenwriting for TV and Film from Royal Holloway, University of London. He continued studying at that institution to obtain his PhD, which focused on the role of black people in the media. Henry was awarded his PhD in July 2018. Henry has been an outspoken critic on the lack of ethnic diversity in British television, which he addresses in his PhD thesis. Lenny enjoys watching sports and is a lifelong supporter of West Bromwich Albion Football Club.
