User:Bman912/Junior Laniyan

Junior Laniyan (born 1st March 1982) is a English actor and tap dancer.

Acting Career
At age 9 Junior Laniyan attended Saturday drama, dance and singing classes at the Sylvia Young Theatre School. He soon landed his first role in the second series of the BBC childrens series Bodger and Badger and then enrolled in Sylvia Young Theatre School as a full time student from 1992- 1998 and has since worked on in theatre, Film and television. In 1993 he played the role of Errol alongside Richard Briers and Imelda Staunton in If You See God Tell Him, also for the BBC. In 1997 he worked again with Richard Briers in the acclaimed period drama A Respectable Trade where he played the part of Matthew.

Junior Laniyan is well known for playing Benji McHugh in Family Affairs (1998 - 2000) but has also played Ric Griffin's medical student son Leo Griffin played by Hugh Quarshie in a number of episodes of the BBC's Holby City, womanizing football player Stuart in in the popular UK soap Coronation Street (2004) and in 2001 played Pvt. Bell in Danny Boyle's Movie 28 Days Later.

As well as the screen work, Laniyan has worked on stage as Pete Spivy in James Baldwin's Blues For Mr Charlie for the Tricycle Theatre and in the Title role of Master Juba for Theatre Is

Tap Career
As well as acting, Junior Laniyan is also one of the UK's most preeminent tap practitioners. He is well known for performing with Robbie Williams in the number Mr Bojangles for Robbie Williams Live at the Albert Hall. He has also danced on stage at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall, Cochrane Theatre, Purcell Room, Royal Festival Hall and Hackney Empire among other theatres and regularly performs and teaches throughout Europe. He founded and is the host of the the UK's first regular tap dance Jam session, The London Tap Jam http://www.londontapjam.org which is based in London's Ronnie Scott's bar.

Filmography

 * Double Time (2007) Steve


 * Doctors (2006) Terry Daken


 * Kill Kill Faster Faster (2006) Photographer


 * It's Been Another Week (2006) Joe


 * Room Nine (2006) Ben


 * Shoot The Messenger (2005) Patrick


 * Coronation Street (2004) Stuart


 * Stealing Lives (2004) Gozy


 * Rough Diamonds (2003) Michael Groce


 * Holby City (Recuring) Leo Griffin


 * 24/7 (2002) Marcus Murphy


 * 28 Days Later (2001) Pvt. Bell


 * Doctors (2000) Pete Hutchinson


 * Family Affairs (1998-2000) Benji McHugh


 * A Respectable Trade (1997) Matthew


 * Wavelength (1997) Mat Jenkins


 * If You See God Tell Him (1993) Errol


 * [[Prime Suspect 2] (1992) David Allen