Douglas Henshall
Encyclopedia
Douglas James Henshall is a Scottish
actor probably best known for his role as Professor Nick Cutter in the British science fiction
series Primeval
.
, Scotland
. His mother is a nurse whilst his father is a salesman, and he has two elder sisters. He grew up in Barrhead
and attended Barrhead High School. While at school he joined the Scottish Youth Theatre
based in Glasgow. After leaving school, he moved to London
to train at Mountview Theatre School. While in London he received critical acclaim for his theatre work, notably Life of Stuff at the Donmar Warehouse
(1993) and American Buffalo at the Young Vic (1997). He returned to Glasgow and joined the 7:84
theatre company. Henshall is a fan of St Mirren Football Club. He is married to Croatian writer Tena Štivičić
.
's television adaptation of Lipstick On Your Collar
. He also portrayed T.E. Lawrence in a reoccurring role in the American television series Young Indiana Jones (1992-1996}. One of his first successful film roles was as Edgar in Angels and Insects (1995) before going on to star in Orphans (1997), The Man with Rain in His Shoes
(1998), The Lawless Heart (2001) and Silent Cry
(2002). He has also starred in many television series and is known for his roles in Psychos
(1999), Kid in the Corner (1999) (for which he won a gold nymph as best actor in a mini-series at the Monte-Carlo TV festival in 2000), and Loving You (2003). He has also performed in plays for BBC radio
, including the role of Romeo
in Romeo and Juliet
(1999) and David in The Long Farewell (2002). In the summer of 2002, Douglas returned to the London stage where he performed the role of Michael Bakunin in Tom Stoppard
's new trilogy of plays, The Coast of Utopia
, at the National Theatre
.
He played Marcus in the post-production
British comedy film French Film
, alongside Hugh Bonneville
and Anne-Marie Duff
.
He went on to appear in another ITV1
show, Collision
, in which he played the investigating officer of a multiple car crash. In 2010, Douglas starred in a BBC1 drama called The Silence
. He has most recently appeared in Series 5 of Lewis in the episode "The Mind Has Mountains" and as Cradoc in The Eagle (2011).
In summer 2011 Henshall starred in Harold Pinter
's Betrayal
at the Comedy Theatre in London's West End
playing the lover of Emma, played by Kristin Scott Thomas
. Her husband was played by Ben Miles
and the revival was brought to life by director Ian Rickson
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
actor probably best known for his role as Professor Nick Cutter in the British science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series Primeval
Primeval
Primeval or primæval may refer to:* Primeval, a British science fiction television series.* Primeval , a 2007 film* Primeval , a score of music from the BBC TV series Doctor Who...
.
Early life
Douglas Henshall was born in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. His mother is a nurse whilst his father is a salesman, and he has two elder sisters. He grew up in Barrhead
Barrhead
Barrhead is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. As of the 2001 census its population was 19,813....
and attended Barrhead High School. While at school he joined the Scottish Youth Theatre
Scottish Youth Theatre
Scottish Youth Theatre is Scotland's national youth theatre company for ages 3–25. It is core funded by the Scottish Arts Council.Scottish Youth Theatre has headquarters in Glasgow but work throughout Scotland...
based in Glasgow. After leaving school, he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to train at Mountview Theatre School. While in London he received critical acclaim for his theatre work, notably Life of Stuff at the Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
(1993) and American Buffalo at the Young Vic (1997). He returned to Glasgow and joined the 7:84
7:84
7:84 was a Scottish left-wing agitprop theatre group. The name comes from a statistic, published in The Economist in 1966, that 7% of the population of the UK owned 84% of the state's wealth....
theatre company. Henshall is a fan of St Mirren Football Club. He is married to Croatian writer Tena Štivičić
Tena Štivicic
Tena Štivičić is a Croatian playwright. She was born in Zagreb and studied in the Academy of Drama Art there. She completed an MA in Writing for Performance at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She has taken part in theatre events such as Future Perfect, the Paines Plough Young Writers...
.
Career
In 1993 he appeared in Dennis PotterDennis Potter
Dennis Christopher George Potter was an English dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. He was particularly fond of using themes and images from popular culture.-Biography:Dennis Potter was born...
's television adaptation of Lipstick On Your Collar
Lipstick on Your Collar
Lipstick on Your Collar is a 1993 British television serial written by Dennis Potter, originally broadcast on Channel 4 expanded from Potter's earlier play Lay Down Your Arms...
. He also portrayed T.E. Lawrence in a reoccurring role in the American television series Young Indiana Jones (1992-1996}. One of his first successful film roles was as Edgar in Angels and Insects (1995) before going on to star in Orphans (1997), The Man with Rain in His Shoes
The Man with Rain in His Shoes
The Man with Rain in His Shoes is a 1998 Spanish-British romantic comedy film, written by Spanish singer-songwriter Rafa Russo, directed by Spanish filmmaker María Ripoll and starring Lena Headey, Douglas Henshall, Penelope Cruz, Mark Strong and Elizabeth McGovern...
(1998), The Lawless Heart (2001) and Silent Cry
Silent Cry (film)
Silent Cry is a British thriller film directed by Julian Richards, starring Emily Woof, Douglas Henshall, Frank Finlay, Clive Russell, Kevin Whately, Craig Kelly and released in 2003.- Synopsis :...
(2002). He has also starred in many television series and is known for his roles in Psychos
Psychos (TV series)
Psychos is a six-part British television drama series focusing upon a young medical team and their patients. First broadcast on Channel 4 in 1999, it was written by David Wolstencroft and directed by John McKay and Andy Wilson. It starred Douglas Henshall as Dr...
(1999), Kid in the Corner (1999) (for which he won a gold nymph as best actor in a mini-series at the Monte-Carlo TV festival in 2000), and Loving You (2003). He has also performed in plays for BBC radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
, including the role of Romeo
Romeo Montague
Romeo is one of the fictional protagonists in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is the son of old Montague and his wife, who secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet...
in Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
(1999) and David in The Long Farewell (2002). In the summer of 2002, Douglas returned to the London stage where he performed the role of Michael Bakunin in Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
's new trilogy of plays, The Coast of Utopia
The Coast of Utopia
The Coast of Utopia is a 2002 trilogy of plays: Voyage, Shipwreck, and Salvage, written by Tom Stoppard with focus on the philosophical debates in pre-revolution Russia between 1833 and 1866...
, at the National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
.
He played Marcus in the post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
British comedy film French Film
French Film
French Film is a 2008 British comedy film directed by Jackie Oudney and starring Anne-Marie Duff, Hugh Bonneville, Victoria Hamilton, Douglas Henshall and Eric Cantona. The film was shot in Spring 2007 at various locations around London including Waterloo station and the BFI Southbank.-Plot:Two...
, alongside Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Richard Bonneville Williams, known professionally as Hugh Bonneville , is an English stage, film, television and radio actor.-Education:...
and Anne-Marie Duff
Anne-Marie Duff
Anne-Marie Duff is an English actress best known for playing Fiona Gallagher in Shameless, and Elizabeth I in The Virgin Queen.-Early life:...
.
He went on to appear in another ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
show, Collision
Collision (TV series)
Collision is a five-part television drama miniseries, which debuted on ITV in November 2009. In the same month, it was also on PBS as a series in two parts. It tells the story of a group of strangers whose lives intertwine following a devastating car crash...
, in which he played the investigating officer of a multiple car crash. In 2010, Douglas starred in a BBC1 drama called The Silence
The Silence (2010 drama)
The Silence is a BBC One 4-part prime-time crime thriller/family drama about a deaf girl who witnesses a murder, first broadcast between 12–15 July 2010. The drama stars deaf actress Genevieve Barr , alongside Dervla Kirwan, Gina McKee, Hugh Bonneville and Douglas Henshall...
. He has most recently appeared in Series 5 of Lewis in the episode "The Mind Has Mountains" and as Cradoc in The Eagle (2011).
In summer 2011 Henshall starred in Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
's Betrayal
Betrayal (play)
Betrayal is a play written by Harold Pinter in 1978. Critically regarded as one of the English playwright's major dramatic works, it features his characteristically economical dialogue, characters' hidden emotions and veiled motivations, and their self-absorbed competitive one-upmanship,...
at the Comedy Theatre in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
playing the lover of Emma, played by Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin A. Scott Thomas, OBE is an English actress who has also acquired French nationality. She gained international recognition in the 1990s for her roles in Bitter Moon, Four Weddings and a Funeral and The English Patient....
. Her husband was played by Ben Miles
Ben Miles
Ben Miles is an English actor, best known for his starring role as Patrick Maitland in the British TV comedy Coupling, from 2000 to 2004.-Life and career:...
and the revival was brought to life by director Ian Rickson
Ian Rickson
Ian Rickson is a British theatre and film director. He was the Artistic Director at the Royal Court Theatre in London from 1998 to 2006, and currently works freelance....
.
External links
- Douglas Henshall website
- Betrayal, "Comedy Theatre Review", The Telegraph, 17 June 2011
- Betrayal - Review, "Comedy Theatre London", The Guardian, 17 June 2011
- First Night: Betrayal, "Comedy Theatre London", The Independent', 17 June 2011