Paul Henry (actor)
Encyclopedia
Paul Henry, is a British
actor
, best known for his role in the soap opera
, Crossroads.
Born in Birmingham
, he attended the city's Alderlea Boys School in Shard End with Jeff Lynne
, later leader of the Electric Light Orchestra
pop group. Henry trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, which was followed by eight years at the Birmingham Rep. Between 1975 to 1988, he played his best-known role of Benny Hawkins, a simple-minded bumbling semi-rustic handyman, in Crossroads.
In 1977, Henry recorded "Benny's Theme" with the Mayson Glen Orchestra, on Pye Records
. It peaked at no.39 in the UK Singles Chart
in January 1978. He was in character as Benny in the song, but spoke rather than sang.
His country boy style got him the part of Peter Stevens in The Archers
for a time. By wife Sheila, he had a son, Anthony and a daughter, Justine. Henry's post-Crossroads career included minor stage roles and running a nightclub
in Whitchurch
, Shropshire
, but in 1994 he returned to television briefly in a tribute to Crossroads, called 30 Years On. In a 2002 interview, Henry declared that the public still love Benny and during a shopping trip, he came back to his car and found a person had left piece of paper on it saying "Benny, we miss you".
In 2004, he was returned to acting on TV in an episode of the British hospital series Doctors. He then played a regular character, a delivery man, in the series of the ITV1
prison drama Bad Girls.
Comedian Ronnie Barker
later in his life revealed that he had suggested Henry should be cast as the character, Lennie Godber
, opposite him in the sitcom
Porridge
, but the actor Richard Beckinsale
was chosen instead by the television producer
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, best known for his role in the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Crossroads.
Born in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, he attended the city's Alderlea Boys School in Shard End with Jeff Lynne
Jeff Lynne
Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
, later leader of the Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
pop group. Henry trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, which was followed by eight years at the Birmingham Rep. Between 1975 to 1988, he played his best-known role of Benny Hawkins, a simple-minded bumbling semi-rustic handyman, in Crossroads.
In 1977, Henry recorded "Benny's Theme" with the Mayson Glen Orchestra, on Pye Records
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...
. It peaked at no.39 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in January 1978. He was in character as Benny in the song, but spoke rather than sang.
His country boy style got him the part of Peter Stevens in The Archers
The Archers
The Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
for a time. By wife Sheila, he had a son, Anthony and a daughter, Justine. Henry's post-Crossroads career included minor stage roles and running a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in Whitchurch
Whitchurch, Shropshire
Whitchurch is a market town in Shropshire, England on the border between England and Wales. It is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Shropshire. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the town is 8,673, with a more recent estimate putting the population of the town at 8,934...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, but in 1994 he returned to television briefly in a tribute to Crossroads, called 30 Years On. In a 2002 interview, Henry declared that the public still love Benny and during a shopping trip, he came back to his car and found a person had left piece of paper on it saying "Benny, we miss you".
In 2004, he was returned to acting on TV in an episode of the British hospital series Doctors. He then played a regular character, a delivery man, in the series of the ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
prison drama Bad Girls.
Comedian Ronnie Barker
Ronnie Barker
Ronald William George "Ronnie" Barker, OBE was a British actor, comedian, writer, critic, broadcaster and businessman...
later in his life revealed that he had suggested Henry should be cast as the character, Lennie Godber
Lennie Godber
Leonard Arthur "Lennie" Godber was a character in the popular BBC sitcom Porridge. He was played by Richard Beckinsale.Godber is from Birmingham, supports Aston Villa F.C., has an O Level in geography, and studies for a history O Level while in prison. Before he was arrested he shared a flat with...
, opposite him in the sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
Porridge
Porridge (TV series)
Porridge is a British situation comedy broadcast on BBC1 from 1974 to 1977, running for three series, two Christmas specials and a feature film. Written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, it stars Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale as two inmates at the fictional HMP Slade in Cumberland...
, but the actor Richard Beckinsale
Richard Beckinsale
Richard Arthur Beckinsale was an English actor, best known for his roles as Lennie Godber in the popular BBC sitcom Porridge and Alan Moore in the British sitcom Rising Damp....
was chosen instead by the television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
.