Lenny Henry On Comedy, Dramatic Acting & Returning To Stand-Up

What did Eddie Murphy say to Lenny Henry?

In this Monday episode of The Romesh Ranganathan Show, Romesh is joined by the legendary comedian, actor, and writer, Sir Lenny Henry.

The pair look back at Lenny’s incredible career, from his early stand-up and TV shows, to his latest projects. They discuss racism, realities of working in the entertainment industry, and the pressure that comes with a long career.

Lenny talks about his return to stand-up with his new tour, Lenny Henry: Still at Large, and his new BBC show,The Split Up (available on BBC iPlayer now).

Plus, they deep dive into the world of being a stand-up comedian, inspirations, and how it's changed over the years.

Elsewhere, Romesh and Lenny get into self-care, manscaping, and some questionable fashion choices, and Lenny opens up about death, grief, and some of the lessons he’s learned throughout his life. Plus, Shanthi has a bone to pick with Romesh...

A fascinating conversation about comedy, careers, ageing, loss, and what it takes to keep going.

A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform Media.

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Chapters

00:00 Intro

03:46 When Lenny and Romesh met

05:20 A gift for Lenny

08:34 Lenny’s career

13:53 On True Identity

17:30 On chef and career mentality

18:54 The challenges of the industry

20:44 Lenny reads Romesh

22:45 Self-care and manscaping

25:20 Fashion faux pas

29:29 The upcoming tour and being on stage

40:06 A question from Shanthi on impressions

43:54 The Split Up

29:38 Misquoted

57:11 On death and grief

58:45 Some advice from Lenny

59:59 Outro

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