Lenny Henry: A Biography

by Jonathan Margolis

Lenny Henry is one of the most famous faces on television — appealing to both young and old alike.

Born in Dudley, West Midlands, to Jamaican parents, the young Lenny first attracted attention amongst his school contemporaries with his uncanny abilities as a mimic.

His impressions ranged from Tommy Cooper and Frank Spencer to Muhammad Ali, and in 1975 these talents won him a place on TV’s New Faces, the show which was to launch his career.

What drives the man behind Theophilus P. Wildebeest?

Who is this man with a unique talent with a quicksilver appreciation of what it takes to tickle the contemporary British funny-bone?

The first ever biography of one of the best loved men in British comedy looks at Lenny’s indomitable Jamaican mother, his early apprenticeship in the working men’s clubs, his adoption by the alternative comedy circuit and his marriage to Dawn French.

Jonathan Margolis charts that career. It is both an in-depth chronology of Lenny Henry’s career, and a fascinating look at the man behind the laughter.

Praise for Lenny Henry: A BiographyTime Out

‘[Henry] emerges as a dauntingly talented performer, but one whose full potential as an actor and comedian remains untapped’ - Daily Express

Jonathan Margolis is a journalist and author who writes for the Sunday Times, The Financial Times and The Guardian. He has been a European contributor to Time magazine and is known for his biographies and historical books including Cleese Encounters, The Big Yin, Bernard Manning and A Brief History of Tomorrow.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Jonathan Margolis is a journalist for The Financial Times, The Guardian and The Sunday Times (UK). He has been a contributor to Time as well as several other online magazines. He has written several celebrity biographies including ones on John Cleese, Uri Geller and the orgasm.

Reviews

[Sarah Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never realized how accomplished he was.
I remember when I was little and I used to sit and watch TV with my dad, he always used to watch Chef everyday without fail. I never knew that Lenny was a comedian or that he'd gone on to act in things such as Penelope. But know that I think back, I can remember his character very well even though it was only a small part.

[Deborah Stanford · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good well informed author. Enjoyed it . Chose this book I as I like lenny Henry and was interested in his start in life.

I enjoyed the book I chose as interested in how lenny Henry became who he is. Lenny Henry is a interesting character.

[Kath · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little bit disappointed with this book as it is a little dated insofar as it finished in the 90s. As a biography I thought it didn't flow as naturally as some of those I have read. I can't quite put my finger on exactly why but I suspect it lends itself more to a collection of snippets and anecdotes rather than a chronological biography. I was also a little confused with some of the things that were current at time of writing which have since obviously changed. His marriage to Dawn French to name but one. This confused me until I realised that it was actually written in the mid 90s and had not been updated for present day. I am not 100% sure why it is being re-published now without being neither updated nor brought to date.
All that said, I did find a lot of the content interesting. It was a nice trip down memory lane for me as he was a big part of my childhood tv-wise. On the whole though, I did find some of the writing to be a bit dry. I get that not every detail can be communicated with zeal and zest due to it's nature but there are still ways of getting these stories across in a way that makes them interesting and I found some of these lacking in that.
All in all, some good, some bad. I still don't understand why re-published but not updated but if you pretend you are in, say, 1995 when you read this, you'll probably have a better time.

My thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Kingfan30 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure where this book came from, but seeing as he's just staring in The Syndicate, figured it might be a good time to read it. It was an interesting insight into his life, there was certainly stuff there I was completely unaware of such as trying to break the U.S. and staring in a film. The racism he encountered I kind of expected to read but still the comments he receives and the reaction to villagers when he moves is still pretty shocking. This book only takes us to 1995. The writing style however was a bit frustrating, it seemed to flit backwards and forwards with no warning, and there was quite a lot that was repeated. An interesting read though.

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This was an interesting read as far as it goes!
It starts at the beginning of his career following through the years.
Unfortunately it does not bring his career up to date, finishing in the 1990's.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many references to other interviews,be it in paper or tv that it felt a bit off to me. Didn't flow naturally.