Teen actor Lenny Rush has spoken about living with his health condition as he prepares to lead a new BBC comedy series. The 17-year-old stars as Val in The Reluctant Vampire, which launches on BBC One on Sunday, October 4 at 6.40pm. The comedy is an adaptation of the book series of the same name by Eric Morecambe. In the show, Val discovers he is not actually a vampire and begins living a double life as he comes to terms with his human side.
BAFTA-winning career and health condition
Rush rose to fame in the Daisy May Cooper comedy Am I Being Unreasonable?, for which he won a BAFTA for Best Male Comedy Performance. He has since appeared in the award-winning spy drama Slow Horses and has been cast as Dobby in the upcoming Harry Potter series for HBO. Born in Essex, Rush has a medical condition called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, which affects his growth and results in dwarfism.
In a bold response to questions about how his on-screen appearances have affected families of other disabled children, he told The Metro in 2022 that he was proud to represent the disabled community. He said: "I'm proud because you don't, it's a shame, but you don't see many [disabled actors]. It is getting better, it's getting better and better. But yeah, I mean it's sort of it's still quite rare to see in my opinion, so I'm proud to be representing them and hopefully it brings more people in."
Championing disabled actors
He also stressed the importance of parents of disabled children seeing him on screen, adding: "When I was younger, things seemed way worse than they were. So, I think it's good for mums as well, if they've got any kids with a disability, and it seems like the worst, you know they'll be able to see people like me and feel they will get out of it and it will be good."
In 2019, he appeared on Good Morning Britain with a similar message, saying: "I think disability or not, I think anyone can play a role. I think it's good for people with disabilities to have the same opportunities that other people do, because why not?" Although the producers of Am I Being Unreasonable? were not initially looking for a child with a disability, Rush's audition landed him the starring role. He continues to champion disabled artists throughout his work.
Personal milestones and family
He wrapped filming for the series in July this year, sharing a tribute on social media with behind-the-scenes photos: "Today was my last ever day playing Ollie in Am I Being Unreasonable? I'm officially wrapped! It was bittersweet. It really hit me today how much I am going to miss being part of something so special." He added: "I feel so lucky to have been surrounded by the best people. I'm going to miss every single person in front/behind the camera. I'm forever thankful to Daisy and Selin for having me on board their mad series, and trusting me with playing Ollie, it's why I've been given so many other amazing opportunities."
In August this year, he announced on Instagram that he had passed his driving test, with celebrities including Katie Piper and Gaby Roslin congratulating him. Rush was born to parents Lisa and Steve Rush; Lisa was a dental nurse but gave up her job when he was born as his condition meant he was kept in hospital for four months, while Steve runs a kitchen design business.
