| Lenny Rush | |
| Birth Date: | 17 March 2009 |
| Occupation: | Actor and presenter |
| Years Active: | 2017–present |
| Notable Works: |
|
Lenny Rush (born 17 March 2009) is a British actor and presenter. 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.
Rush has a medical condition called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita which affects his growth, resulting in dwarfism.[1] [2]
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.[3] [4]
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.[5] Rush also had the role of Ollie in Daisy May Cooper’s BBC One comedy Am I Being Unreasonable?, in which he improvised lines as well as performing from a script.[6] 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."[7]
Rush made a notable appearance on the BBC One charity show Children In Need in 2022.[8] 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.[9]
In June 2023, it was announced that Rush would portray Morris Gibbons, UNIT's scientific advisor, in the fourteenth series of Doctor Who.[10] He had previously been initially cast as the voice of Eric in "Space Babies" before being offered the larger role.[11] [12]
In October 2023, at the age of 14, it was announced that Rush would become the first child presenter to co-host the annual Children in Need appeal.[13]
In November 2023, Rush was the winner of Taskmaster New Year’s Treat 2024[14] .[15]
Rush was voted Best Breakthrough at the I Talk Telly Awards in December 2022.[16] It was announced in January 2023 that he would receive a breakthrough award at the National Comedy Awards.[17] On 29 March 2023, he won two awards at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards: the Breakthrough Award, and Best Comedy Performance (Male).[18] [19] In May 2023, he won the BAFTA for Male Performance in a Comedy Programme for his work on Am I Being Unreasonable?
| scope=col | Year | scope=col | Title | scope=col | Role | scope=col class="unsortable" | 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 Gibbons | 2 episodes; "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" and "Empire of Death" | ||||
| Taskmaster | Himself | New Years Special |