8 Things You Didn’t Know About Lennie James

Lennie James is a British actor, screenwriter, and playwright who was born on October 11, 1965. James, the son of Afro-Trinidadian parents, was born in Nottingham. He grew up in South London and went to Ernest Bevin College for his education.

You may be familiar with Lennie James from his acting career, but there is more to his life as you will discover from the following facts.

8 Things You Didn’t Know About Lennie James

1. Intended To Be A Rugby

Lennie James did not intend to pursue a career in acting; instead, he planned to pursue a career in rugby. He first became interested in acting for an odd reason. He was interested in a girl, so he followed her to a play audition. This prompted him to take up amateur dramatics himself.

2. Raised In Foster Care

Phyllis Mary James, Lennie James’ mother, died when he was ten years old. He and his brother Kester had the choice of living with a relative in the United States or in a nursing home. They chose the latter, and James spent the next eight years of his life in foster care. ^[1]

3. His Letter For Big Issue Magazine

Lenny James was one of the celebrities approached by the magazine for a contribution. The celebrities were asked to write a ‘open letter to my younger self’. James took advantage of the opportunity to write about the emotional turmoil of losing his mother at such a young age. His letter appeared in the March 2015 issue of ‘The Big Issue’. ^[2]

4. He Has Won Two Awards

Lennie James has been nominated for six awards for his work on television and in films over the course of his career. He has two awards to his name. He won the BAFTA for Best Male Performance in Film for his performance in ‘Lucky Break’ in 2002. For his performance in ‘The Walking Dead,’ he won an Online Film & Television Award for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series. ^[3]

5. Writer Of Storm Damage

Lennie James wrote the 2000 television film ‘Storm Damage,’ in which he also starred as Bonaface. It was directed by Simon Cellan Jones. ‘Storm Damage’ is about a young teacher who grew up in a care home and returns as an adult. This causes him to become involved in the lives of several troubled teenagers. ^[4]

6. Childhood Nickname Was Bunting

It’s a play on the old nursery rhyme Cry Baby Bunting. “My older brother Kester didn’t like it when I cried as a baby, so that’s what he used to call me,” James explained in 2015 to the Daily Express.

7. His Favourite Television Show

James has not only named Hill Street Blues his favourite television show of all time, but he has also credited the ’80s police drama with inspiring all subsequent shows of a similar theme.

8. Able To Do Rubik Cube In A Minute

He claims to be able to solve the Rubik’s Cube puzzle in under a minute. He joins other celebrities who claim to be able to solve the difficult puzzle, some of whom have demonstrated their ability on camera.