Lennie James facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lennie James
James at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Lennie Michael James Nottingham, England
Education	Guildhall School of Music and Drama (BA)
Occupation	Actor writer
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Giselle Glasman
Children	3

Lennie Michael James is a British actor. He is famous for playing Morgan Jones in the TV shows The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead. He also played DCI Tony Gates in the first season of Line of Duty.

Lennie James also had important roles in other TV shows. He was Glen Boyle in the medical drama Critical on Sky 1. In American TV, he played Robert Hawkins in Jericho and Detective Joe Geddes in Low Winter Sun.

James created and starred in the Sky Atlantic drama series Save Me, which came out in 2018. The second season, called Save Me Too, won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Drama Series in 2021.

In 2024, James starred as Barrington Jedidiah "Barry" Walker in the BBC TV show Mr Loverman. For this role, he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor at the 2025 British Academy Television Awards.

Early Life and Education

James was born in Nottingham, England. His parents were from Trinidad and Tobago. He grew up in South London and went to Ernest Bevin College. When he was 10, his mother, Phyllis Mary James, passed away. He and his older brother, Kester, chose to live in a children's home instead of moving to the United States. James stayed in foster care for eight years.

As a teenager, James wanted to be a professional rugby player. He started acting after following a girl he liked to an audition for a play. James later went to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and finished his studies in 1988. While there, he helped lead a campaign to stop the school from expelling another student. He said this was the bravest thing he had ever done. Before becoming an actor, he worked at a social security office.

Acting Career Highlights

James in 2008

Lennie James has been in more than 20 films. Some of these include Les Misérables (1998), Snatch (2000), Sahara (2005), and Colombiana (2011).

He started his career in theatre. In 1982, he joined a workshop at the Cockpit Theatre. The next year, he won an award for his play Trial and Error. This play was later published in 1984. In 1992, he won the Clarence Derwent Award for his role in the play The Coup.

James also writes. He wrote a TV film called Storm Damage in 2000. It was nominated for a British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series. The film is about a teacher who goes back to his old foster home to help teenagers there, much like James did in real life. He also wrote a play called The Sons of Charlie Paora, which was performed in London in 2004.

Television Roles

On television, James appeared in A Touch of Frost (1994) and the prison drama Buried (2003). He was also in the BBC spy drama Spooks and played Robert Hawkins in the post-apocalyptic series Jericho. In 2008, he played a detective in the TV drama Fallout. He also appeared in Lie to Me and the miniseries The Prisoner. From 2010 to 2011, he was in HBO's comedy series Hung.

In 2012, James received praise for his role as DCI Tony Gates in Line of Duty on BBC Two.

The Walking Dead Universe

In 2010, James guest-starred as Morgan Jones in the first episode of The Walking Dead. He returned to the show in 2013 for an episode in the third season. He also appeared in the fifth season. Even with few appearances, critics and fans loved his portrayal of Morgan. He became a main cast member from the sixth to the eighth season. Since April 2018, James has been a regular cast member in Fear the Walking Dead, which is a spin-off of The Walking Dead.

When James appeared on the show Talking Dead after a Walking Dead episode, he spoke with his natural British accent. This caused the hashtag #morganisbritish to become popular on Twitter.

Other Notable Work

James starred as Glenn Boyle in the medical drama Critical, which started on Sky 1 in February 2015. He spent almost a year away from his home to film the series. Each episode of Critical happens in "real time," showing medical staff trying to save a life in one hour. To prepare, James spent a week observing doctors at a London hospital.

James has also voiced Lord Shaxx in the video games Destiny and Destiny 2. Lord Shaxx is the host of "The Crucible," a player-versus-player area in the game. James said his favorite line to say in the game is from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Personal Life

Lennie James lives in Los Angeles, California, USA, with his wife, Giselle Glasman. They have three children together. He enjoys cooking for his family and loves Caribbean cuisine. He is a fan of two football clubs: Tottenham Hotspur from England and Valencia Club de Fútbol from Spain.

James has written about his life for The Big Issue magazine. In March 2015, he wrote about the sadness of losing his mother when he was young. He said it had a deep effect on him.

James also works as a mentor for black children in inner-city areas. He believes that everyday heroes, like those who work hard to support their families, are the ones who should be celebrated.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles

Stage Roles

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Lennie James para niños