Lenny Rush
Lenny Rush | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 March 2009 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Notable work | |
Lenny Rush (born 18 March 2009) is a British BAFTA-winning child actor. He is best known for his work on the Daisy May Cooper comedy drama series Am I Being Unreasonable?, on the BBC One series Dodger and the CBBC drama The Dumping Ground. He won a breakthrough award at the 2023 National Comedy Awards, and won the Breakthrough Award and Best Comedy Performance (Male) at the 2023 Royal Television Society Programme Awards.
Early life[edit]
Born to Steve and Lisa Rush,[1] Lenny is from Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex.
Career[edit]
Rush first appeared on camera on the CBeebies documentary Our Family. He began acting locally at the Pauline Quirke Academy in Essex. He played roles on CBeebies series Apple Tree House and CBBC's The Dumping Ground and had played Tiny Tim in versions of A Christmas Carol both on stage at The Old Vic in London in 2017 and 2018, and on-screen in a Steven Knight televised retelling of the Charles Dickens classic in 2019.[2][3]
Rush was given a series regular role in the comedy drama Dodger alongside Christopher Eccleston. Initially a small role called The Sweeper, the part was expanded for Rush and given the character name Morgan.[4] Rush also had the role of Ollie, the son of Daisy May Cooper’s character, in BBC One comedy Am I Being Unreasonable? in which he was able to improvise as well as perform lines.[5] He received praise for his performance in the show with Lucy Mangan writing in The Guardian, “What a gift they have in Rush, who has the comic chops and emotional range of an actor twice his age, and the kind of chemistry with Cooper that is an absolute joy to watch."[6]
He also made a notable appearance on BBC One charity money-raising show Children In Need in 2022.[7] Rush won the Breakthrough Award, and Comedy Performance (Male) Award, for Am I Being Unreasonable? at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in March 2023.[8]
In June 2023, it was announced that Rush would portray Morris in the fourteenth series of Doctor Who.[9]
In October 2023, it was announced that Rush would become the first-ever child presenter at the age of 14 to co-host the 2023 Children in Need appeal.[10]
In November 2023 Rush was the winner of Taskmaster New Year’s Treat 2024.[11]
Accolades[edit]
Rush was voted Best Breakthrough at the I Talk Telly Awards in December 2022.[12] It was announced in January 2023 that he would receive a breakthrough award at the 2023 National Comedy Awards.[13] On 29 March 2023, he won two awards at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards: the Breakthrough Award, and Best Comedy Performance (Male).[14][15] In May 2023, he won the BAFTA for Male Performance in a Comedy Programme for his work on Am I Being Unreasonable?
Personal life[edit]
Rush has a medical condition called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita which affects his growth, resulting in dwarfism.[16][17]
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-2019 | Apple Tree House | Eli | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | A Christmas Carol | Tiny Tim | Miniseries |
| 2020 | Old Vic on Camera: A Christmas Carol | Tiny Tim | |
| 2021–2022 | The Dumping Ground | Murphy | 7 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | Dodger | Morgan/The Sweeper | Recurring role |
| 2022 | Enola Holmes 2 | Newspaper boy | Film |
| 2022–present | Am I Being Unreasonable? | Ollie | Lead role (6 episodes) |
| 2023 | Best Interests | George | 1 episode |
| Haunting of the Queen Mary | Lukas Caulder | Film | |
| Children in Need | Himself | Presenter | |
| 2024 | Doctor Who | Morris | Series 14 |
| Taskmaster | Himself | New Years Special |
References[edit]
- ^ "Lenny Rush Parents- Meet Dad Steve Rush And Mother Lisa Rush". Thefamilynation.com.
- ^ "Scene Stealer: Child actor Lenny Rush's rise to fame". BBC.co.uk.
- ^ "Lenny, 10, is the star of the show this Christmas". Southend Echo.
- ^ "I TALK TO Lenny Rush". Italktelly.com.
- ^ "Dodger star Lenny Rush says children's TV is "so important" at Christmas". Radio Times.
- ^ "Am I Being Unreasonable? review – Daisy May Cooper is absurdly brilliant". The Guardian.
- ^ "Lenny Rush comedy skit impressed Children In Need viewers". Maldon Standard.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman (7 March 2023). "Kate Winslet, Kit Connor, Billie Piper in the Mix at Royal Television Society Program Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (15 June 2023). "Doctor Who casts BAFTA winner Lenny Rush as new character Morris". Radio Times.
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (18 October 2023). "Doctor Who star Lenny Rush joins Children in Need presenting line-up". Radio Times.
- ^ Lewis, George (23 November 2023). "Taskmaster confirms line-up for celebrity special". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "I Talk Telly Awards – Winners Announced". Beyond The Joke.
- ^ "National Comedy Awards 2023 shortlists revealed". Chortle.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (29 March 2023). "Kate Winslet Scoops Big Acting Prize At RTS Awards". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (29 March 2023). "Kit Connor, Kate Winslet Among Winners of Royal Television Society Program Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ Amin, Megna (25 November 2022). "Dodger star Lenny Rush explains why it's so good for mums of disabled kids to see him on screen". Metro.
- ^ "Ormiston Rivers Academy student stars in hit BBC show". Ormiston Academies Trust.
External links[edit]
- Lenny Rush at IMDb
- Living people
- People from Burnham-on-Crouch
- British male child actors
- 2009 births
- Best Male Comedy Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners
- 21st-century British male actors
- British male television actors
- Actors with dwarfism
- Male actors from Essex
- Television presenters with disabilities
- British male comedians
- Comedians from Essex