Actress and comedian Lennon Parham is a former French teacher from Georgia. Photo Credit: Hollywood Handbook
Anyone who has been up in front of a classroom knows that teaching is, in part, a performance. So it’s no surprise when talented teachers make a name for themselves in the entertainment industry. One teacher who has done this is former high school French teacher Lennon Parham, who now works as a celebrated actress and comedian.
Lennon was born on October 27, 1976, in Marietta, Cobb County, Georgia. Her parents named her after the musician John Lennon. As a young girl, she attended Parkview High School in Lilburn, Gwinnett County, Georgia.
After her high school graduation, Lennon enrolled at the University of Evansville, a small private university located in Evansville, Indiana, under the Teach for America program. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Theater. Once she completed the requirements for her degree, Lennon accepted a position as a French teacher at T.L. Weston High School in Greenville, Washington County, Mississippi, where she taught for two years.
After fulfilling her obligation for Teach for America, Lennon began her career in the entertainment industry in earnest. She began performing comedy with the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Aneles. She also starred in the two-person show The Adventures of Lock & Kay and the one-woman show She Tried to be Normal. Over the years, she has wracked up an impressive resume. She has made appearances in 26 episodes of the television show Playing House, 18 episodes of Accidentally on Purpose, 12 shows of Lady Dynamite, six episodes of Veep, six shows of Best Friends Forever, two episodes of Better Things, and 26 episodes of Bless This Mess. She also appeared in roles on Children’s Hospital, Parks and Recreation, Bad Judge, Arrested Development, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Minx. Lennon also performed in the movies Pretty Bird, Confessions of a Splinterheads, Shopaholic, and Horrible Bosses 2.
Despite her success, the former French teacher has not entirely left the classroom. She has taught improv classes at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) training center. The UCB is the only accredited improv and sketch comedy school in the country. You can learn more about this organization at this link: UCB.
