Ben Lemel

Ben Lemel was born in Southend, Essex.He has worked on many TV productions. He started his career playing Terry Richardson in EASTENDERS, a role which was especially written for him by writer/director Tony McHale who worked with Ben again in BBC's CASUALTY.Producer/director Ed Bye worked with Ben on THE FULL WAX and again in THE DETECTIVES.Ben's character Terry Richardson returned to EASTENDERS by writer Tony Jordan.Ben appeared in the TV series THE BILL four times. Other featured roles have been in FAMILY AFFAIRS, LONDON'S BURNING and with Richard E. Grant in BBC's THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL.Sir Derek Jacobi recommended Ben Lemel to THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY and when Ben made a follow up telephone call, the Casting Director believed Ben actually forged Jacobi's written correspondence himself!Ben is a fearless and risk taking actor. During his early career when actors were required to perform audition speeches, Ben would turn up as a Steven Berkoff character and sometimes intimidate casting directors.Ben Lemel was fortunate enough to work with the late George Cole and Joan Littlewood in BBC's Radio 4 play THE CHARGE OF THE BOYS BRIGADE.As a contrast to playing hard-man characters, police and assassins Ben Lemel played the gay american character Clifford Anderson in the classic stage play DEATH TRAP. Some of the audience were convinced Ben was gay in real life and when they met him after the show, they were genuinely shocked when Ben's campness disappeared and he spoke in his usual London accent. Show less «