Douglas Henshall


Douglas James Henshall is a Scottish television, film and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as Professor Nick Cutter in the science fiction series Primeval and Detective Inspector Jimmy Pérez in the crime drama Shetland.
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Background

Henshall's mother was a nurse and his father a salesman. He attended Barrhead High School. While studying there, he joined the Scottish Youth Theatre. After graduation, he moved to London and trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Henshall joined the 7:84 theatre company in Glasgow, and later returned to London where he received critical acclaim for his theatre work, notably Life of Stuff at the Donmar Warehouse and American Buffalo at the Young Vic. He married his partner, Croatian writer Tena Štivičić, in Las Vegas in February 2010.

Career

1990s

In 1993, Henshall appeared in Dennis Potter's television adaptation of Lipstick on Your Collar. He also portrayed T. E. Lawrence in a recurring role in George Lucas's American television series Young Indiana Jones. In 1993 he appeared in series 10 of The Bill. One of his first successful film roles was as Edgar in Angels and Insects before going on to star in Sharpe's Justice, Orphans, The Man with Rain in His Shoes. He has also starred in many television series and is known for his roles in Psychos ''This Year's Love and Kid in the Corner'' .

2000s

Henshall appeared in the films Lawless Heart ''Gentlemen’s Relish and Silent Cry. Roles on television include Konstantin Levin in Anna Karenina, and Dan in Loving You. He has also performed in plays for BBC Radio, including the role of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and David in The Long Farewell. In the summer of 2002, Henshall 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.
Henshall played Marcus in the post-production British comedy film French Film, alongside Hugh Bonneville and Anne-Marie Duff. He took the starring role as scientist Professor Nick Cutter in the first three series of the science fiction series Primeval from 2007 to 2009 and starred in Dorian Gray'' as the doctor Alan Campbell.

2010s

He went on to appear in another ITV1 show, Collision, in which he played the investigating officer of a multi-vehicle car crash. In 2010, Douglas starred in a BBC1 drama called The Silence. He appeared in series 5 of Lewis in the episode "The Mind Has Mountains" and as Cradoc in The Eagle.
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. In autumn 2012, he appeared as Oliver Cromwell in the premiere of the new play 55 Days.
In 2012, he starred as Augustus Cribben in The Secret of Crickley Hall, and in the ITV television film of Ian Rankin's novel Doors Open.
In 2013, Henshall starred as Detective Inspector Jimmy Pérez in the BBC drama Shetland filmed in Lerwick and Glasgow. The story was based on Ann Cleeves' Shetland crime novel Red Bones. A second series of six episodes consisted of three, two-part, stories based on Cleeve's Raven Black, Dead Water and Blue Lightning. It screened in the UK in March and April 2014. A further series was filmed in 2015, screening on BBC1 in the UK during January and February 2016. Henshall won the Bafta Scotland best television actor award in 2016 for his work in the series and the show won the best television drama.
In 2015, Henshall starred as Taran MacQuarrie in the TV series Outlander.
In 2016, he starred in the Scottish three-part television drama series In Plain Sight as detective William Muncie, who pursued serial murderer Peter Manuel to his conviction and ultimate execution by hanging.
Henshall starred in the film Iona, written and directed by Scott Graham, which opened in March 2016. It is the story of a mother who burns her car and takes her teenage son on a ferry to the island she was named after. In 2019 he appeared as antiquarian book dealer Adam Snow in Susan Hill's ghost story The Small Hand.

2020s

Henshall left the series Shetland in June 2022 and acted in the series Who Is Erin Carter? shown on Netflix, in the series Murder is Easy on BBC and in the series The Darkness.

Filmography

YearFilmRoleNotes
1989The BillManagerTV series
1990TaggartMotor CyclistTV series
1990The Big ManDavie Dawson
1990Silent ScreamNews Reporter – 1963, Brixton, Soho
19914 PlayEric ShawTV series
1991Jute CitySammy KerrTV series
1991BoonJohnnyTV series
1992Van der ValkJoep HuizingaTV series
1992UnderbellyHaigTV series
1992Firm FriendsStephenTV series
1993Lipstick on Your CollarCorporal BerryTV series
1993The Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesT. E. LawrenceTV series
1993Screen OneLouie GibbonsTV series
1994The BillStewart FrenchTV series
1994Common as MuckBrian ForgetTV series
1994Rab C. NesbittDonnyTV series
1994Rose RedManShort
1995GhostsBillyTV series
1995Angels & InsectsEdgar Alabaster
1996Screen TwoClive ColvilleTV series
1996Thief TakersPaul ValeraTV series
1997Sharpe's JusticeGeorge WickhamTV movie
1997Kull the ConquerorDucalon
1998The Man With the Rain in His ShoesVictor BukowskiAKA Twice Upon a Yesterday
1998OrphansMichael
1999This Year's LoveDanny
1999Fast FoodBenny
1999Jack of HeartsStan DenbyTV series
1999PsychosDr. Daniel NashTV series
1999Kid in the CornerAlex LettsTV series
2000Anna KareninaLevinTV series
2001Gentlemen's RelishCromwell MarshTV movie
2001Lawless HeartTim
2002Silent CryDaniel Stone
2003It's All About LoveMichael
2003Loving YouDanTV movie
2003UnscrewSamShort
2004Frances TuesdayLucas PilgrimTV movie
2005Dalziel and PascoeTony Watson TV series "Dust Thou Art"
2005The Strange Case of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan DoyleSir Arthur Conan DoyleTV movie
2005Ripley Under GroundDerwatt
2006Free JimmyEddieVoice
2006Dead Long EnoughStyx
2007Flying LessonsAarto
2007Sea of SoulsRobert DunbarTV series
2007-2009PrimevalNick Cutter
2008French FilmMarcus
2009Primeval EvolvedNick CutterVideo Game
2009Dorian GrayAlan Campbell
2009CollisionDI John TolinTV series
2010The SilenceDCI Jim EdwardsTV mini-series
2011The EagleCradoc
2011South RidingJoe AstellTV mini-series
2011LewisAlex GansaTV series
2011How I Was Stolen by the GermansWerner Kraus
2012The Kidnap DiariesSean LanganTV movie
2012Playhouse PresentsHarkerTV series
2012The Secret of Crickley HallAugustus CribbenTV series
2012Doors OpenMike MackenzieTV movie
2013–2022ShetlandDI Jimmy PérezTV series, lead role
2014The SalvationSheriff Mallick
2015OutlanderTaran MacQuarrieTV series
2015IonaDaniel
2015Black WorkDCS HepburnTV series
2016In Plain SightSergeant William MuncieTV mini-series, lead role
2023Murder is EasyMajor HortonTwo-part drama
2023Who Is Erin Carter?Daniel LangTV series
2025The Revenge ClubSteve WilliamsMain cast