This black British comic quickly rose to fame as a teenaged impressionist. The son of Jamaican immigrants, Lenny Henry started doing impersonations in his early teens, eventually winning the TV talent showcase "New Faces" in 1975. With his newfound fame, he went on to make guest appearances on popular comedies (i.e., "The Fosters") and children's shows (e.g., "TISWAS") before teaming with Tracey Ullman and David Copperfield for the variety show "Three of a Kind" (1981). Henry went on to headline a number of other variety series before eventually turning to character comedy. In 1984, he toured with "Stand Up-Get Down", based on his popular recording. Some found his routines abrasive and somewhat racist; wiping sweat from his brow, he would tell the predominantly white audience that it tasted like chocolate. As he matured, Henry moved into more character based comedy, eventually headlining his own sitcom (the self-titled "The Lenny Henry Show" in 1987-88). He found international fame, at least with discerning viewers of public television in the USA, playing the sometimes exasperated titular "Chef!", a sitcom he headlined for three seasons in England from 1993-96.
Henry moved to the big screen as a waiter who befriends an unhappy heiress (Mariel Hemingway) in "The Suicide Club" (1988). His concert performance film "Lenny Live/Lenny Live and Unleashed" (1989) captured his routines and proved popular in his homeland. Disney executives approached him with an offer of a possible multi-picture deal which led to his being cast in Charles Lane's "True Identity" (1991). The film's controversial premise had Henry playing an aspiring actor who is forced to hide from gangsters by pretending to be a white Italian-American. While the execution proved routine, the film did offer its lead an opportunity to impress with his facility with mimicry. The disappointing box office, however, led Disney to release Henry from his contract. More recently, he returned to the concert halls touring the UK and Australia performing comedy.