Lenny Rush is inspired by Will Ferrell finding his own trademark humour
Lenny Rush has opened up about his desire to emulate comedy hero Will Ferrell.
Lenny Rush is inspired by the way Will Ferrell has his own "style of humour" no matter what role he plays.
The 17-year-old actor is set to star in new BBC sitcom The Reluctant Vampire, based on Eric Morecambe's beloved books, and he explained how his approach compares to the Hollywood star's on screen appearances in the likes of Anchorman, Talledega nights and Step Brothers.
He told the BBC: "I think Val shares both similarities and differences with other characters I’ve played.
"In terms of some of the funny moments and lines, I think they are similar to roles such as Ollie in Am I Being Unreasonable?, because it’s my personal sense of humour. Sort of sarcastic, and often awkward. I find things like that very funny!
"It’s a bit like for example, my favourite comic actor of all time, Will Ferrell, has the same style of humour in his films, if that makes sense?
"It has that Will Ferrell humour that is personal to Will Ferrell."
The young star pointed out that for The Reluctant Vampire, the key difference is he's in a much more prominent position.
He added: "I’d say that Val has a similar style of humour to other funny roles I’ve played.
"But it’s also my first series-lead role, so you get to see a lot more of me (sorry!).
"I loved being able to have really funny moments with Val, but then also some great moments where Val shows vulnerability, and real emotion."
Lenny described the show as "funny, heartwarming and fun", and he was delighted to be bringing Morecambe's books to the small screen.
He revealed: "The first time I heard about the books was when Shane Allen (CCO, Boffola Pictures) told me about them.
"He mentioned that he’d been a fan of them as a kid, and that it was something he’d wanted to adapt for years.
"We had a Zoom meeting in late 2022 about maybe getting the rights to the book and making a tv series out of it, then in 2025, we were suddenly making it! And I’m so thrilled we’ve been able to."
The Reluctant Vampire features a talented cast with the likes of Sian Clifford, Tom Davis, Bill Bailey, Ross Noble and more.
The BBC teased: "As vampire heir to the throne, there are great expectations for Val to follow in his father’s traditional footsteps, however he’s never really got to grips with the usual bloodthirsty rites of passage.
"When his mum reveals he’s not actually a vampire at all but is in fact human, he finds himself caught between two-worlds trying to hide his secret and protect his family while grappling with his own identity and the pull of human life."
The Reluctant Vampire is coming to BBC One and iPlayer on October 4.
