Quotes from Lenny Henry

When you're working class and you feel like you're a bit of a toerag, you think Shakespeare's not for you, you know?

I fell asleep during some ballet once.

When you've lived in a country for 50 years and you pay your tax, you have a pension and insurance, you've raised a family and sent your kids to uni. To get to an age and be told you don't belong here and you have to go back to where you come from is really saddening and infuriating.

I wish my dad or somebody had taught me how to fight and defend myself. Because you're very vulnerable if you can't stick up for yourself.

I'm a black person and when I was growing up I went to a school with no other black people and walked past signs that said 'Keep Britain White.'

I got into lots of fights at school: I'd get racially abused, then lash out. One day, this kid said something and instead of putting my fists up, I said something back: people laughed, and he walked away.

The blues has been in my life since I was little.

The idea of giving your talent for free in order to save lives seemed like the most sensible thing anyone's ever suggested.

That's what all of us, as writers, actors and comedians, set out to do - shine a light on new perspectives.

I am the ultimately chippy person, and I am glad I am. I have a chip on each shoulder, so I am well-balanced.

I think it's possible for anybody to write what they want to write - superheroes, historical, period drama, 'Game Of Thrones' - it's just how you chuck yourself into it that counts. And do your research.

Nothing surprises me as far as racism is concerned in this country.

From 13, I knew my family was different to anybody else's. You weren't allowed to talk back at your parents or look at them funny. You weren't allowed to leave food on your plate, you weren't allowed to keep the change when you went shopping. There were a lot of rules growing up; but I don't see anything wrong with that.

I didn't want to be a 16-year-old kid being beaten up by a bunch of people who didn't like me 'cause of the colour of my skin.

In the 1970s in black and Asian households up and down the country, there's a familiar story that when we saw a non-white person on TV we would call the rest of the family to the sitting room to have a look. The story that is less well known is what it was like to be that one black person on TV.

I do like a well-written sketch with a bunch of jokes in it, and I like stand-up with good jokes in it it.

When I was young we had a collection for the Welsh disaster at Aberfan and we also had a school campaign for Biafra. It is a wake-up call for kids - a way of understanding that it's not all 'Blue Peter' for everyone and that maybe they can help.

Corden's a comedy powerhouse.

Perfection isn't everything, some mistakes are pretty groovy.

It is wrong if how we see women on TV is largely determined by male directors.

With every task you think, 'What did I do wrong there? What could I do better?' That's why I've spent my life gravitating towards people who can show me how to improve.

I was in church every Sunday till I was 14 or 15. A van used to come and get us, whether we wanted to go or not. I saw people getting the spirit, talking in tongues, juddering, foaming at the mouth - to be honest, I was a bit frightened of it. The minute I could, I stopped going.

Stand-up's a lottery - you think it's funny but the audience can disagree.

People want to be represented on television.