LENNY
Lenny is a major Mogwai and Gremlin character introduced in the 1990 film Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Designed by Rick Baker as a homage to Lennie Small from John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, he is recognized by his stocky frame, goofy laugh, distinct buckteeth, and clumsy loyalty to his partner George.
Cronologia
Biografia
Lenny is a massive, goofy, and slow-witted Mogwai who transforms into a stocky, buck-toothed Gremlin during the events of Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
Spawned directly from Gizmo inside New York City's Clamp Center skyscraper, Lenny is instantly recognized by his light-brown and white fur, face stripes, and human-like front buckteeth—making him the only Gremlin lacking sharp, razor-like fangs.
Characterized by a goofy laugh reminiscent of classic cartoon characters like Goofy, Lenny acts primarily as a dim-witted brute following the orders of fellow Mogwai George. Despite his imposing size, Lenny is widely considered one of the most passive and least inherently malicious Gremlins in the franchise. He rarely initiates harm on his own, instead causing destruction through sheer clumsiness or by blindly following George's commands. Throughout the Clamp Center takeover, Lenny participates in various chaotic antics—from disrupting television broadcasts in a chef hat to playing in a toy store—before meeting his ultimate demise alongside the rest of the Gremlin horde in the electrocuted lobby.
Storia
Lenny's origin traces back to a water accident inside the high-tech Clamp Center in New York City, where he spawns directly off Gizmo's back roughly two seconds after George. Emerging alongside George and Mohawk, Lenny immediately displays his simple-minded nature by leaning on George and waving to Gizmo.
Shortly after spawning, George orders Lenny to rip open a nearby air ventilation grille to trap Gizmo. Lenny complies, though his characteristic clumsiness causes him to accidentally hit George with the metallic vent in the process.
After locking Gizmo inside the shaft, Lenny and his companions hitch a ride on a janitor's cart to the building's lobby, where Lenny gorgeously binges on frozen yogurt at a shop until his stomach swells. After eating past midnight, the group forms cocoons to undergo metamorphosis. Upon emerging as a fully grown Gremlin, Lenny continues his loyal partnership with George, aiding in the invasion of the building by tampering with elevator controls, crashing a cooking show set, and joining the massive musical performance of "New York, New York" prior to his fatal electrocution.
I PEZZI DI LENNY
Evoluzione
Lenny's evolution stems from a comedic homage to classic literature. Created by Rick Baker and Joe Dante as the dim-witted counterpart to George, Lenny was conceived to mirror Lennie Small from John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. Early storyboard revisions even planned a dramatic redemption arc where Lenny would switch sides to protect Gizmo by pushing George and Mohawk into an oven, which would have made him the franchise's first redeemed Gremlin.
However, director Joe Dante and executive producer Steven Spielberg cut the scene for being too dark. Over the decades, Lenny's portrayal expanded beyond a simple movie antagonist. While retro 1990 video games treated him solely as a hazards enemy, the 2011 video game Gremlins: Gizmo redefined him through adaptational heroism as a playable, friendly 'Eternal Mogwai'. Most recently, the 2023–2025 animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai retroactively added lore explaining that Lenny's birth antics were driven by an ancient Mogwai curse rather than inherent evil.
Da Collezione
For action figure collectors and horror enthusiasts, Lenny is a standout due to his distinct physical sculpt among Rick Baker's Gremlin creations. Manufacturer NECA (National Entertainment Collectibles Association) brought Lenny to life in 2011 with the release of the NECA Gremlins Mogwai Series 1: Lenny 4-inch action figure.
This release featured NECA's signature poseable eye mechanism, controlled via a hidden toggle behind the head, allowing collectors to customize his facial expressions. In 2012, NECA released the 6-inch NECA Gremlins Series 2: Lenny (Gremlin Form) figure, capturing his transformed state complete with human-like buck teeth, articulated mouth, and a tie accessory. Due to high demand and limited initial runs, NECA issued a re-release of Mogwai Lenny between 2021 and 2023 on retro clamshell packaging honoring the original 1990 Topps trading card designs. Mint-in-box original releases remain high-value grails for Gremlins completists.
In deleted film scenes, Lenny dances on George's head to music and gets pushed onto a janitor's cleaning cart before sneezing from air freshener.
