Lenora Crichlow

Last updated

Lenora Crichlow
Lenoracrichlow.jpg
Crichlow in 2009
Born
Lenora Isabella Crichlow

(1985-01-04) 4 January 1985 (age 39)
London, UK
OccupationActress
Years active2004–present
Father Frank Crichlow

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 comedy-drama series Sugar Rush , Annie Sawyer in the BBC Three supernatural drama series Being Human , and Shania Andrews in the 2012 sports drama film Fast Girls . 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 . In 2020, she was in the main cast of the HBO/Sky One comedy series Avenue 5 playing second engineer Billie McEvoy.

Contents

Early life

Crichlow was born 4 January 1985 [1] and raised in Harlesden, London to Frank Crichlow and Lucy Addington. Her father, who was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, owned the Mangrove restaurant in Notting Hill, which was frequented by stars such as Jimi Hendrix and Vanessa Redgrave. [2] Crichlow has two sisters and a brother. [3]

From the age of twelve, Crichlow trained and worked with the YoungBlood Theatre Company in Hammersmith, West London. [4]

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, [5] and her first television appearance in the ITV police drama series The Bill. [6] Crichlow came to public prominence starring as Maria "Sugar" Sweet in Channel 4's adaptation of the Julie Burchill novel Sugar Rush , [7] which won the 2006 International Emmy Award in the Children And Young People category. [8]

In 2007, she appeared in the Doctor Who episode "Gridlock", guest starring as Cheen. [9] Crichlow then had a role in BBC One's feature-length drama Kiss of Death in 2008, starring alongside Danny Dyer. [6] In March 2010, Crichlow returned to the world of Doctor Who in the audio release of The Architects of History , playing a new character, Rachel Cooper, a companion of the Seventh Doctor in an alternate timeline. [10] Crichlow then played the role of Portia in a performance of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice , for the BBC's educational platform Bitesize. [11]

In November 2008, the BBC announced Crichlow had been cast as Annie Sawyer, [12] a ghost in a flat shared with a vampire and a werewolf, in the BBC Three series Being Human , [13] replacing Andrea Riseborough who had played the character in the pilot. [14] In 2011, Crichlow won the TV Actress of the Year Award at the annual Glamour Awards for her work on the show. [15] 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. [16] Crichlow later narrated the audiobook of Simon Guerrier's tie-in novel The Road . [17]

Crichlow alongside Being Human co-star Russell Tovey at San Diego Comic-Con in 2009 Russell Tovey & Lenora Critchlow (3772341401).jpg
Crichlow alongside Being Human co-star Russell Tovey at San Diego Comic-Con in 2009

In November 2009, Crichlow played the part of Alice Jackson in Collision , an ITV1 drama which ran over five consecutive nights. [18] From January to February 2010, Crichlow appeared as aspiring fashion designer Ali Redcliffe in the BBC One romantic comedy miniseries Material Girl . In June 2010, she also played the role of Ashley in a BBC Three pilot, Dappers. [19] That same month, Crichlow presented Nelson Mandela: One Incredible Life on BBC Three. For the documentary, Crichlow travelled to South Africa to learn more about Nelson Mandela's story. [20] [21] In 2011, Crichlow played the character of Police Sergeant Lily Thomson in the BBC drama Death in Paradise . [22]

In January 2011, Crichlow appeared in six short accompaniments for The Tudors airings on BBC America. [23] Crichlow also narrated The Gatwick Baby: Abandoned at Birth, shown on BBC Three on 13 April 2011. [24] The following year, she appeared in an episode of Inspector George Gently , [25] and played the central role of Shania Andrews, a streetwise 200m runner, in the Olympics-themed drama film Fast Girls . [26] 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. [27]

In February 2013, Crichlow starred as Victoria Skillane in "White Bear", the second episode in the second series of Charlie Brooker's critically acclaimed anthology series Black Mirror . [28] 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. [29] In July 2013, Crichlow portrayed the role of Chen Sam in the BBC Four television film Burton & Taylor , alongside Helena Bonham Carter and Dominic West. [30]

In 2014, she portrayed Mel in the independent drama film Electricity , 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 . [31] The series was given a full season order, but was ultimately cancelled. [32] She next appeared in the Kevin Pollak-directed comedy-drama The Late Bloomer , alongside J. K. Simmons, Brittany Snow, and Johnny Simmons. [33] Crichlow was then cast as Dina Clark in the ABC procedural crime drama series Deception , alongside Jack Cutmore-Scott and Amaury Nolasco. [34]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2006 Wilderness Mandy
2007The Beloved OnesMaureenShort film
2012 Fast Girls Shania Andrews
2014 Electricity Mel
2016 The Late Bloomer Nikki
2020 The Big Ugly Fiona, Neelyn's girlfriend
2021 Horror Noire Mrs. Clay

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004Bella and the BoysStacyTelevision film
2004 The Bill Shirley Moss12 episodes
2005 Casualty Linda SurreyEpisode: "Truth, Lies and Videotape"
2005–2006 Sugar Rush Maria "Sugar" Sweet20 episodes
2007 Doctor Who CheenEpisode: "Gridlock"
2008 Kiss of Death Jude WhileyTelevision film
2008The Things I Haven't Told YouMiss BakerTelevision film
2008 Casualty MichelleEpisode: "There and Back Again"
2009–2012 Being Human Annie Sawyer 30 episodes
2009 Collision Alice JacksonMiniseries; 3 episodes
2010 Material Girl Ali RedcliffeMiniseries; 6 episodes
2010DappersAshleyUnsold pilot
2011 Death in Paradise Lily ThomsonEpisode: "Arriving in Paradise"
2012 Inspector George Gently Carol MorfordEpisode: "Gently Northern Soul"
2012 Doors Open Laura StantonTelevision film
2013 Burton & Taylor Chen SamTelevision film
2013 Black Mirror Victoria SkillaneEpisode: "White Bear"
2013–2014 Back in the Game Gigi Fernandez-Lovette12 episodes
2014–2015 A to Z Stephie Bennett13 episodes
2016 Suspects DS Alicia Brooks6 episodes
2017 Flaked Rosa5 episodes
2018 Deception Dina Clark13 episodes
2020–2022 Avenue 5 Billie McEvoyMain cast
2021 Goliath Ava Wallace-MargolisMain cast

Other work

Theatre

YearTitleRoleLocation
200693.2 FMDelisha Taylor Royal Court Theatre
2008 Big White Fog Claudine Adams Almeida Theatre

Radio

YearTitleRoleStationNotes
2010 Doctor Who: The Architects of History Rachel Cooper BBC Radio 4 Extra 4 episodes

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2011 Glamour Awards TV Actress of the Year Being Human Won
2012 Screen Nation Film and Television Awards Female Performance in Film Fast Girls Nominated
2013 SFX Awards Best Actress Being Human Nominated
Sexiest FemaleNominated
2014 Screen Nation Film and Television Awards Female Performance in TV Black Mirror , Back in the Game , and Burton & Taylor Nominated

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References

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