British actress Lenora Crichlow is an actress on the rise. Since starring as Sugar in Chanel 4’s cult drama series Sugar Rush in 2005, she’s made a name for herself as Annie on BBC 3’s Being Human, Ali Redcliffe in Material Girl, Gigi Fernandez-Lovette in Back in the Game, and Dina Clark in Deception. Next up is a star turn in Avenue 5, HBO’s much-anticipated science fiction comedy featuring a glittery ensemble cast of Hugh Laurie, Rebecca Front, Zach Woods, Himesh Patel, and of course, Crichlow herself. To find out more about the actress, keep reading.
1. She dated Aidan Turner for two years
Crichlow may not be the kind of actress to put her personal life on display, but one of the few things about her love life we do know is that she once dated Poldark heartthrob, Aidan Turner. After meeting on the set of Being Human, the pair ended up sharing more than just screen time, ultimately parting ways after two years in 2011. In 2016, it was thought the pair had rekindled their romance after they were spotted together in LA, but the rumors were quickly dropped after Turner was spotted kissing a “mystery woman” shortly after.
2. If she wasn’t an actress, she’d be a teacher
If she hadn’t made it as an actress, Crichlow thinks she’d still be involved in the industry, even if from the sidelines. Asked by the Scotsman what she’d do if the work dried up, Crichlow answered “Teaching acting,” before adding “I’ve always thought drama was incredibly therapeutic and important in self-development. So, I’d probably be trying to use it in a way to better people’s understanding of themselves, because it has helped me so much.”
3. She’s the daughter of the “godfather of black radicalism”
Crichlow was born on 4 January 1985 in Harlesden, London. Her father was Frank Crichlow, a British community activist and civil rights campaigner who earned the title of “godfather of black radicalism” during the 1960s. His restaurant, the Mangrove, became a central meeting point for activists, musicians, and artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Vanessa Redgrave, as well as serving as “the symbol of resistance to police persecution” after it became the object of multiple police raids during the 1970s. Described by Abner Cohen as “one of the most significant West Indian leaders in Britain during the 1970s and 1980s”, Crichlow died in 2010 of prostate cancer.
4. She made her TV debut in Bella and the Boys
After graduating with a degree in drama from the University of Sussex, Crichlow won her first TV role opposite Billy Piper in Bella and the Boys (2004). More work followed in short order. In the same year as appearing in Bella and the Boys, she featured in 20 episodes of The Bill; a year later, she landed the seminal role of Maria “Sugar” Sweet in Sugar Rush. Since those early days, Crichlow has worked steadily on TV, with some of her best-known work including Being Human (2009-2012), Collision (2009), Material Girl (2010), Black Mirror (2013), Back in the Game (2013-2014), A to Z (2014- 2015), Suspects (2016), Flaked (2017), and Deception (2018).
5. She’s inspired a book
In 2005, Crichlow landed the role of Maria “Sugar” Sweet in Sugar Rush, Channel 4’s adaptation of Julie Burchill’s novel of the same name. Although the show was canceled after 2 seasons, Burchill was so impressed by Crichlow’s portrayal of Sugar (which she later described as “magnetic and beautiful”) she was inspired to write the sequel, Sweet. “In the original book (Sugar) was just this person to torment the heroine, but when I saw Lenora play her, it made her a person I cared so much about,” she explained to the Independent. “And I am more pleased with this book than… with the first.”
6. She made her film debut in Wilderness
Crichlow’s film debut came in 2006s Wilderness, a small British-Irish horror film starring Sean Pertwee, Alex Reid, Toby Kebbell, and Karly Greene. The film was dismissed by critics as “shocky”, but it didn’t put the stoppers on Crichlow’s subsequent movie career. She’s since appeared in The Beloved Ones (2007), Fast Girls (2012), Electricity (2014), The Late Bloomer (2016), and can next be seen as Maria Russo in the upcoming Marvel film, Moribus.
7. She was the longest-running character in Being Human
In 2009, Crichlow joined the cast of the supernatural drama, Being Human, as Annie. Although not the first choice for the role (Andrea Riseborough played the character in the pilot), she ended up serving longer than any other cast member, appearing in 30 episodes in total. Her performance drew rave reviews from critics and audiences alike – not to mention the series creator, Toby Whitehouse, who, in an interview with BBC America described Critchlow as “the heart of the show.” “She can turn on a dime,” he went on to add. “She can have you crying with laughter and then crying with sorrow in the next breath. She’s an extraordinary actress.”
8. She’s trained with Olympic athletes
In 2012, Crichlow won the part of sprinter Shania Andrews in Fast Girls, a feature film revolving around the rivalry and friendships in the British female sprint relay team. For authenticity, director Regan Hall insisted Crichlow and the rest of the cast get into condition by training alongside their real-life Olympic counterparts; in Crichlow’s case, this turned out to be the British 100m female sprint champion, Jeanette Kwakye. ‘I jumped at the chance but had no idea just how intense it would be,’ the actress told The Daily Mail about the experience. “Jeanette would sometimes come to Cardiff just to train me for one hour then go back to London, so I had to make every minute count. She would just know if I hadn’t put in the work to reach a certain level by a certain day.”
9. She’s had some embarrassing moments
During an interview with the Scotsman, Crichlow admitted she’s had some embarrassing moments since coming to fame. The most awkward mishap happened when she mistook a question about the time for an autograph request. “It happened to me in a supermarket,” she recalled. “I had already been asked for my autograph twice and I was all in a fluster, so I was like, “Yeah, yeah, sure…” and they said, “Um, do you have the time?” I was appropriately embarrassed.”
10. She’s worth $2 million
Crichlow’s star is most definitely on the rise, a fact that’s amply reflected in the state of her finances. According to the latest information on Celeb Closet, the actress is currently worth a very respectable $2 million.
Follow Us
