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Lenny Rush

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Lenny Rush
Born (2009-03-17) March 17, 2009 (age 17)
OccupationsActor and presenter
Years active2017–present
WorksFilmography

Lenny Anthony Rush (born 17 March 2009) is a BAFTA award-winning British actor. He is best known for his work on the Daisy May Cooper comedy drama series Am I Being Unreasonable?, for which he won a British Academy Television Award for Best Male Comedy Performance. He has also appeared in the CBBC dramas Dodger and 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.

Personal life

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Lenny Anthony Rush[1] was born on 17 March 2009.[2] Rush has a medical condition called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita which affects his growth, resulting in dwarfism.[3][4]He is an avid fan of the band Oasis.[5][6]

Career

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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.[7][8]

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.[9] 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.[10] 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."[11]

Rush appeared in the BBC's Children In Need in 2022[12] and has been a co-host since 2023.[13] He won the Breakthrough Award, and was nominated for the Comedy Performance (Male) Award, for Am I Being Unreasonable? at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in March 2023.[14]

In June 2023, it was announced that Rush would portray Morris Gibbons, UNIT's scientific advisor, in the fourteenth series of Doctor Who.[15] He was initially cast as the voice of Eric in "Space Babies" before being offered the larger role.[16][17]

In November 2023, Rush was the winner of Taskmaster New Year's Treat 2024.[18][19]

In December 2025, Rush had the lead role of Chris in Channel 4 seasonal television film Finding Father Christmas alongside James Buckley and including cameo appearances by Stephen Fry and Hannah Fry.[20][21] That month, he filmed the Eric Morecambe adaptation The Reluctant Vampire written by Neil and Rob Gibbons.[22]

Rush played Frank Harte alongside Brenda Blethyn and Emmett J. Scanlan in a Channel 4 reboot of the Barbara Taylor Bradford bestselling novel, A Woman of Substance,[23] which aired in March 2026.[24] Rush appeared in series 6 of the spy thriller series Slow Horses, along with Gary Oldman, Christopher Chung and others, released on 16 September on Apple TV.[25] In September 2026, it was announced that Rush would be playing the role of Dobby in the second series of HBO’s Harry Potter.[26]

Accolades

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Rush was voted Best Breakthrough at the I Talk Telly Awards in December 2022.[27] It was announced in January 2023 that he would receive a breakthrough award at the National Comedy Awards.[28] On 29 March 2023, he won two awards at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards: the Breakthrough Award, and Best Comedy Performance (Male).[29][30]

In May 2023, at the age of 14, he won the BAFTA for Male Performance in a Comedy Programme for his work in Am I Being Unreasonable?[31][32] He was nominated for the same award again in 2026 for the same role.[33]

In March 2026, he was nominated for best actor in a comedy at the British Academy Television Awards.[34]

Filmography

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Film

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Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released.
Year Title Role Notes
2022 Enola Holmes 2 Newspaper Boy
2023 Haunting of the Queen Mary Lukas Calder
2024 The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland Robin Voice role

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2018–2019 Apple Tree House Eli 4 episodes
2019 A Christmas Carol "Tiny" Tim Cratchit Main role
2020 Old Vic: In Camera - A Christmas Carol Digital theatre
2021–2022 The Dumping Ground Murphy 7 episodes
2022–2023 Dodger Morgan the Crossing Sweeper 10 episodes
2022–2025 Am I Being Unreasonable? Ollie Main role
2023 Best Interests George 1 episode
The Kemps: All Gold Anton Television special
2024 W1A Lenny Rush 1 episode
Renegade Nell Inn Keepers Lad 1 episode
Doctor Who Morris Gibbons 2 episodes
2025 Finding Father Christmas Chris Television film
2026 A Woman of Substance Frank Harte 7 episodes
Make That Movie Ewin 1 episode
Slow Horses Reece Nesmith 3 episodes
The Reluctant Vampire Val 6 episodes
TBA Harry Potter † Dobby Filming

References

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  1. ↑ Rush, Lenny [@mrlennyrush]; (26 August 2026). "I'm officially on the roads! Today I passed my practical driving test! So thrilled! #drivingtest #passed #buzzing". Retrieved 28 August 2026 – via Instagram.
  2. ↑ Rush, Lenny [@mrlennyrush]; (17 March 2026). "17 today! I'm getting on a bit now, I've got a bad back and everything 🤣! ..." Retrieved 27 August 2026 – via Instagram.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ "Ormiston Rivers Academy student stars in hit BBC show". Ormiston Academies Trust. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  6. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  7. ↑ Bushby, Helen (2 December 2022). "Scene-stealer: Child star Lenny Rush's rise to fame". BBC News. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  8. ↑ Davies, Sean (22 December 2019). "Lenny, 10, is the star of the show this Christmas". Echo. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  9. ↑ "I Talk To Lenny Rush". I Talk Telly. 22 December 2022.
  10. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (28 November 2022). "Dodger star Lenny Rush says children's TV is "so important" at Christmas". Radio Times. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  11. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (23 September 2022). "Am I Being Unreasonable? review – Daisy May Cooper is absurdly brilliant". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  12. ↑ Emmett, Millie (22 November 2022). "Lenny Rush comedy skit impressed Children In Need viewers". Maldon and Burnham Standard. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  13. ↑ Cormack, Morgan (18 October 2023). "Doctor Who star Lenny Rush joins Children in Need presenting line-up". Radio Times. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  14. ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (7 March 2023). "Kate Winslet, Kit Connor, Billie Piper in the Mix at Royal Television Society Programme Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  15. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (15 June 2023). "Doctor Who casts BAFTA winner Lenny Rush as new character Morris". Radio Times.
  16. ↑ "Doctor Who: Unleashed - Season 1: 1. Space Babies". BBC. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  17. ↑ "Doctor Who guest star Lenny Rush was originally cast in a different role". Radio Times. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  18. ↑ "Burnham actor Lenny Rush 'honoured' as he wins Taskmaster New Year's Treat". Maldon and Burnham Standard. 4 January 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  19. ↑ Lewis, George (23 November 2023). "Taskmaster confirms line-up for celebrity special". Digital Spy. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  20. ↑ Smith, Patrick (24 December 2025). "Finding Father Christmas review – A conspiracy is unearthed in this appealing slice of festive whimsy". The Independent. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  21. ↑ Ryan, Frances (24 December 2025). "Finding Father Christmas review – Lenny Rush and James Buckley's chemistry is just wonderful". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  22. ↑ Saner, Emine (14 December 2025). "'I'm having so much fun!' Lenny Rush on fame, Father Christmas and why Essex needs to watch out". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  23. ↑ Goldbart, Max (28 April 2025). "Brenda Blethyn & Jessica Reynolds Leading Channel 4's 'A Woman Of Substance' Remake". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  24. ↑ Moss, Molly. "Vera icon Brenda Blethyn's new Channel 4 remake of classic drama finally confirms release date". Radio Times. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  25. ↑ Goldbart, Max (11 June 2026). "'Slow Horses' Unveils Season 6 Premiere Date & Lenny Rush Image". Deadline. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  26. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (4 September 2026). "'Harry Potter' Finds Its New Ginny Weasley, Casts Tom Riddle & Dobby Roles In HBO Series Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 4 September 2026. Retrieved 4 September 2026.
  27. ↑ "I Talk Telly Awards – Winners Announced". Beyond The Joke. 4 December 2022.
  28. ↑ "National Comedy Awards 2023 shortlists revealed". Chortle.
  29. ↑ Goldbart, Max (29 March 2023). "Kate Winslet Scoops Big Acting Prize At RTS Awards". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  30. ↑ Ritman, Alex (29 March 2023). "Kit Connor, Kate Winslet Among Winners of Royal Television Society Program Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  31. ↑ "Essex's Lenny Rush 'still in shock' after TV Bafta win". BBC Home. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  32. ↑ Saner, Emine (16 November 2023). "Lenny Rush on his Bafta, swearing and living his best life: 'I love being little. I'm lucky'". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  33. ↑ Hepburn, David (24 March 2026). "BAFTA Television Awards 2026 Nominees in Full: Here are all the shortlists as Adolescense leads the way with 11 nods". The Scotsman. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  34. ↑ Glanfield, Tim. "Bafta TV Awards 2026: 11 nods for Adolescence proves British drama is still hard to beat". The Times. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
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