Lenora Isabella Crichlow (born 4 January 1985) is a British actress. She became known for her starring roles as Maria "Sugar" Sweet in the
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
comedy-drama series ''
Sugar Rush'',
Annie Sawyer
Anna Clare "Annie" Sawyer is a fictional character in the comedy-drama television series '' Being Human'', portrayed by Lenora Crichlow. The female lead for the duration of the show's first four series, Crichlow appears as Annie in thirty-one epi ...
in the
BBC Three
BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, cov ...
supernatural drama series ''
Being Human'', and Shania Andrews in the 2012 sports drama film ''
Fast Girls
''Fast Girls'' is a 2012 British sports drama film directed by Regan Hall and written by Jay Basu, Noel Clarke and Roy Williams. It stars Lenora Crichlow, Lily James, Bradley James, Clarke and Rupert Graves. The film follows the story of two w ...
''. In 2013, Crichlow portrayed Chen Sam in the television film ''
Burton & Taylor'' and Victoria Skillane in the episode "
White Bear" of the dystopian sci-fi series, ''
Black Mirror''. She has since had regular roles in the
ABC sitcom ''
Back in the Game'' and the
NBC comedy series ''
A to Z''. Since 2020 she has been part of the main cast of the
HBO/
Sky One
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1 ...
comedy series ''
Avenue 5'' playing second engineer Billie McEvoy.
Early life
Crichlow was born and raised in
Harlesden
Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent, North West London.
Located north of the Grand Union Canal and Wormwood Scrubs, the Harrow Road flows through the centre of the area which goes eastwards to Central London and west towar ...
, London to
Frank Crichlow
Frank Gilbert Crichlow (13 July 1932 – 15 September 2010) was a British community activist and civil rights campaigner, who became known in 1960s London as a godfather of black radicalism. Jasper, Lee"Obituary: Frank Crichlow, founder of Mangrov ...
and Lucy Addington. Her father, who was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, owned the
Mangrove restaurant
The Mangrove was a Caribbean restaurant in Notting Hill, London, England. It was founded in 1968 and run by civil rights activist Frank Crichlow, eventually closing in 1992. It is known for the trial of a group of British black activists dubbe ...
in
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Roa ...
, which was frequented by stars such as
Jimi Hendrix and
Vanessa Redgrave. Crichlow has two sisters, Amandla and Francesca, and a brother, Knowlton. Her younger sister, Amandla, is also an actress who appeared in ''
Prime Suspect: The Final Act'' and ''
The Bill
''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983.
The programme focused on ...
''.
From the age of twelve, Crichlow trained and worked with the Young Blood Theatre Company in
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
...
, West London. She went on to study drama at the
University of Sussex
, mottoeng = Be Still and Know
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £14.4 million (2020)
, budget = £319.6 million (2019–20)
, chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar
, vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil
, ...
.
Career
Crichlow's first professional acting role came when she was cast alongside
Billie Piper in the television film ''Bella and the Boys''. She made her first feature film appearance in the low-budget horror film ''
Wilderness'', released in 2006, and her first television appearance in the
ITV police drama series ''
The Bill
''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983.
The programme focused on ...
.''
Crichlow came to public prominence starring as Maria "Sugar" Sweet in
Channel 4's adaptation of the
Julie Burchill novel ''
Sugar Rush'', which won the
2006 International Emmy Award in the Children And Young People category.
In 2007, she appeared in the ''
Doctor Who'' episode "
Gridlock", guest starring as Cheen. Crichlow then had a role in
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...
's feature-length drama ''
Kiss of Death
Kiss of Death may refer to:
* Kiss of Judas, Judas's betrayal of Jesus with a kiss identifying him to his executioners
* Kiss of death (mafia), a Mafia signal that someone has been marked for execution
Film and television
* ''Kiss of Death'' ...
'' in 2008, starring alongside
Danny Dyer
Danial John Dyer (born 24 July 1977) is an English actor and presenter. Dyer's breakthrough role was as Moff in '' Human Traffic'', with other notable roles as Mick Carter in EastEnders, Billy the Limpet in '' Mean Machine'' and as Tommy John ...
.
In March 2010, Crichlow returned to the world of ''Doctor Who'' in the audio release of ''
The Architects of History
''The Architects of History'' is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It contains a four-part story.
The story was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra in 4 episodes ...
'', playing a new character, Rachel Cooper, a companion of the
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'', and the final incarnation of the original Doctor Who series. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy ...
in an alternate timeline. Crichlow then played the role of Portia in a performance of
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as ...
'', for the BBC's educational platform
Bitesize.
In November 2008, the BBC announced Crichlow had been cast as
Annie Sawyer
Anna Clare "Annie" Sawyer is a fictional character in the comedy-drama television series '' Being Human'', portrayed by Lenora Crichlow. The female lead for the duration of the show's first four series, Crichlow appears as Annie in thirty-one epi ...
, a ghost in a flat shared with a
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
and a
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposel ...
, in the
BBC Three
BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, cov ...
series ''
Being Human'', replacing
Andrea Riseborough who had played the character in the pilot. In 2011, Crichlow won the TV Actress of the Year Award at the annual
Glamour Awards for her work on the show. She continued to play the role of Annie in the programme until deciding to depart following the last episode of the fourth series, which aired in March 2012. Crichlow later narrated the
audiobook
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sch ...
of
Simon Guerrier
Simon Guerrier (born June 1976) is a British science fiction author and dramatist, closely associated with the fictional universe of '' Doctor Who'' and its spinoffs. Although he has written three ''Doctor Who'' novels, for the BBC Books range ...
's tie-in novel ''
The Road''.
In November 2009, Crichlow played the part of Alice Jackson in ''
Collision
In physics, a collision is any event in which two or more bodies exert forces on each other in a relatively short time. Although the most common use of the word ''collision'' refers to incidents in which two or more objects collide with great fo ...
'', an
ITV1
ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 pu ...
drama which ran over five consecutive nights. From January to February 2010, Crichlow appeared as aspiring fashion designer Ali Redcliffe in the
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's Flagship (broadcasting), flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News ...
romantic comedy miniseries ''
Material Girl''. In June 2010, she also played the role of Ashley in a
BBC Three
BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes targeting 16 to 34-year-olds, cov ...
pilot, ''Dappers''. That same month, Crichlow presented ''Nelson Mandela: One Incredible Life'' on BBC Three. For the documentary, Crichlow travelled to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...
to learn more about
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...
's story. In 2011, Crichlow played the character of Police Sergeant Lily Thomson in the BBC drama ''
Death in Paradise''.
In January 2011, Crichlow appeared in six short accompaniments for ''
The Tudors
''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...
'' airings on
BBC America
BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary ...
. Crichlow also narrated ''The Gatwick Baby: Abandoned at Birth'', shown on BBC Three on 13 April 2011. The following year, she appeared in an episode of ''
Inspector George Gently'', and played the central role of Shania Andrews, a streetwise 200m runner, in the Olympics-themed drama film ''
Fast Girls
''Fast Girls'' is a 2012 British sports drama film directed by Regan Hall and written by Jay Basu, Noel Clarke and Roy Williams. It stars Lenora Crichlow, Lily James, Bradley James, Clarke and Rupert Graves. The film follows the story of two w ...
''. In December 2012, she starred as Laura Stanton in the ITV1 drama film ''
Doors Open'', an adaptation of the
Ian Rankin novel of the same name.
In February 2013, Crichlow starred as Victoria Skillane in "
White Bear", the second episode in the second series of
Charlie Brooker
Charlton Brooker (born 3 March 1971) is an English television presenter, writer, producer and satirist. He is the creator and co-showrunner of the sci-fi drama anthology series ''Black Mirror'', and has written for comedy series such as ''Bras ...
's critically acclaimed
anthology series
An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a di ...
''
Black Mirror''. The following month, it was announced that she had landed a main role in the American sitcom ''
Back in the Game'' for the
ABC network, starring alongside
James Caan and
Maggie Lawson. In July 2013, Crichlow portrayed the role of Chen Sam in the
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002 television film ''
Burton & Taylor'', alongside
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received various awards and nominations, including a British Academy Film Award ...
and
Dominic West.
In 2014, she portrayed Mel in the independent drama film ''
Electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describ ...
'', starring opposite
Agyness Deyn and
Christian Cooke. In February 2014, it was announced that Crichlow had been cast as Stephie Bennett in the NBC comedy series ''
A to Z''. The series was given a full season order, but was ultimately cancelled. She next appeared in the
Kevin Pollak-directed comedy-drama ''
The Late Bloomer'', alongside
J. K. Simmons,
Brittany Snow
Brittany Anne Snow (born March 9, 1986) is an American actress. She rose to prominence after appearing in the CBS soap opera '' Guiding Light'' (1998–2001), for which she won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress and was nominated for t ...
, and
Johnny Simmons. Crichlow was then cast as Dina Clark in the ABC procedural crime drama series ''
Deception'', alongside
Jack Cutmore-Scott
Jack Cutmore-Scott (born 16 April 1987) is an English actor. He is known for his roles in the ABC drama series ''Deception''.
Early life
Born in London to two accountants, he spent a gap year at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, an ...
and
Amaury Nolasco
Amaury Nolasco Garrido (born December 24, 1970) is a Puerto Rican actor and producer, best known for the role of Fernando Sucre on the Fox television series ''Prison Break'', and for his role in ''Transformers''.
Early life
Nolasco was born i ...
.
Filmography
Film
Television
Other work
Theatre
Radio
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crichlow, Lenora
1985 births
21st-century English actresses
Actresses from London
Black British actresses
English expatriates in the United States
English film actresses
English people of Trinidad and Tobago descent
English stage actresses
English television actresses
Living people
People from Westminster