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 Biography

‘The great joy of Margolis’s book is the detailed research that has gone into every stage of Henrys life’ - Time 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.