During the early 1980s he spent a few years as regular host of the comedy open-mike nights at the now-defunct Ding-Ho Restaurant in Cambridge, Mass.
He is now doing stand-up for high school functions in the Boston area, including Malden Catholic High School in Malden, Massachusetts.
Attended University of Massachusetts
Lenny Clarke Detailed Biography
Lenny Clarke portrays the precinct's veteran cop, Frank, who is nearing retirement and knows better than anyone how to work the system. Frank is happy to let McNeil handle the tougher cases while he goes about his job in as stress-free a manner as possible. In real life, Lenny became friends with Denis Leary 20 years ago on the stand-up circuit in Boston, and has worked with him in the feature films "Two if by Sea" and "Monument Avenue," which Denis also produced.
Lenny was born in Cambridge, Mass., one of eight children. He decided to pursue stand-up comedy one night when he was working as a janitor, putting himself through college at University of Massachusetts/Boston. That night he went to the Ding-Ho Restaurant in Cambridge and saw some comics performing. Convinced he could do the same thing, he returned the next week and... "The rest, as they say, is history!," he exclaims.
Lenny spent several years as the regular host of the open-mike nights there and has since traveled the world as a stand-up. His gifted comedic abilities captured the attention of the legendary Rodney Dangerfield who gave Lenny his first big break on TV, casting him on the HBO special "Nothin' Goes Right," in 1988. He and Dangerfield also worked together years later on Rodney's movie, "Meet Wally Sparks."
After years of hard work, Lenny was "discovered" at the Montreal Comedy Festival. CBS gave him his own TV series, the eponymous "Lenny," which ran for 18 episodes. His other TV work includes four-plus years on "The John Larroquette Show," as Officer Adam Hampton, hosting "The Sunday Comics" and guest appearances on "Touched by an Angel" and "Love Boat: The Next Wave."
His feature films include "Me, Myself and Irene," "Rounders," "There's Something About Mary," "Two if by Sea," "Southie," "Massholes" and the forthcoming independent film "Bluff."
Lenny has numerous charities close to his heart. Prompted by his sister's battle with MS, he works for numerous charities related to that cause, as well as for the Genesis Fund which helps to prevent and treat birth defects. He resides in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, with his wife, Jennifer, a charter fishing boat captain.
