Douglas Henshall

Douglas Henshall is a distinguished Scottish actor whose career spans over three decades, marked by versatile performances across television, film, and stage. Born on 19 November 1965 in Glasgow, Scotland, he grew up in a family with a nurse mother and a salesman father, and attended Barrhead High School where he first engaged with the Scottish Youth Theatre. After completing his secondary education he moved to London to train at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, subsequently joining the politically charged 7:84 theatre company in Glasgow before returning to the capital to gain critical acclaim for roles in productions such as Life of Stuff at the Donmar Warehouse (1993) and American Buffalo at the Young Vic (1997). His transition to screen began in the early 1990s with a notable appearance in Dennis Potter’s Lipstick on Your Collar and a recurring role as T. E. Lawrence in Young Indiana Jones. Over the next decade Henshall built a robust résumé, portraying Edgar in Angels and Insects (1995), starring in Sharpe’s Justice (1997), and earning a gold nymph award at Monte Carlo for his performance in Kid in the Corner (1999). In the 2000s he continued to diversify, appearing in Lawless Heart, Gentlemen’s Relish, and delivering a compelling turn as Professor Nick Cutter in the science‑fiction series Primeval (2007‑2009). His later work includes the acclaimed role of DI Jimmy Pérez in Shetland (2013‑2022), for which he won the BAFTA Scotland Best Television Actor award in 2016, as well as parts in Outlander, In Plain Sight, and the Netflix series Who Is Erin Carter?. Henshall’s personal life reflects his artistic partnership; he married Croatian playwright Tena Štivičić in a Las Vegas ceremony in 2010 and the couple share one child. With a career still flourishing, Henshall remains a vital presence in contemporary British drama, renowned for his depth, intensity, and commitment to his craft.