| Henrik Hanssen | |
|---|---|
| Holby City character | |
| First appearance | "Shifts" 19 October 2010 |
| Portrayed by | Guy Henry |
| Information | |
| Occupation | Director of Surgery Consultant general surgeon |
| Nationality | Swedish |
Henrik Hanssen is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by actor Guy Henry. He first appeared in "Shifts", the premiere episode of the programme's thirteenth series, broadcast on 19 October 2010. A consultant general surgeon, the Director of Surgery at Holby City, Hanssen has also appeared in Casualty.
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Hanssen is introduced as the new joint Director of Surgery at Holby City, working alongside Connie Beauchamp (Amanda Mealing). In a meeting with the hospital board, he criticises Connie's plan to purchase a new MRI scanner for the cardiothoracic ward as being self-serving and naïve. He later informs the staff that budget cuts and redundancies will have to be made for the good of the hospital in a fraught economic climate.[1] Hanssen considers making general surgeon Ric Griffin (Hugh Quarshie) redundant, as he is unable to perform clinical duties while undergoing chemotherapy. Connie defends Ric's position, and Hanssen allows her to make the final decision on redundancies, resulting in the dismissal of six nurses.[2] Hanssen later grants Ric an absence of leave to concentrate on his health. Before departing, Ric requests that Hanssen direct his budget cuts away from the general surgery department.[3]
After Connie Beauchamp's resignation from Holby City at the start of 2011, Hanssen becomes the sole Director of Surgery. In March 2011, after attempting to move all Upper-GI surgical cases from Keller ward to St James' Hospital, undermining Ric in the process and causing Ric to form a mutiny with fellow members of staff, Hanssen offers to operate on Ric in a risky bid to remove his terminal cancer.
In February 2011, Hanssen visits the Emergency Department downstairs (as seen in Casualty), in order to observe the work there and clashes with Clinical Lead Consultant Nick Jordan, prompting Hanssen to instate a new Joint Clinical Lead, in the form of Miriam Turner, Jordan's old mentor.
Henry's casting in Holby City was announced in August 2010. He deemed Hanssen "a bit of a mystery man", sent to the hospital by the Department of Health to make budget cuts. Executive producer Belinda Campbell commented that Henry was a "great asset" to the cast, expanding: "His character will make waves from his very first scene and upset the apple cart of Holby City in more ways than one."[4] Henry shadowed Daren Francis, a surgeon at a North London hospital and Holby City's general surgical advisor, as research for the role.[5][6] He described Hanssen as "punctilious, pedantic and passionate about his work", but with a dry sense of humour, essential for his rivalry of Connie.[7] He explained that Hanssen is not afraid of making enemies and relishes his Machiavellian tendencies, attributing his fractious relationship with Connie to their mutual God complexes and arrogance. Henry considers Hanssen willing to goad people "to go out of their depth",[8] with an ability to frequently "wrong-foot" others.[5] What's on TV deemed Hanssen "Holby's own George Osbourne".[9]
Hanssen was initially presented as an "unknown quantity", including to Henry, who knew little of his character's backstory. In an interview with TV Choice, Henry stated that he believed Hanssen to have come from a "rather unfortunate background". He was sent from Sweden to attend public school in Britain, possibly following the death of his mother, resulting in him becoming "a little more pedantic and English than the English." As of October 2010, his family and love-life had not been decided upon, but it was suggested to Henry that while Hanssen was at medical school, he entered a relationship which did not work out and had not had a romance since. Henry commented that it was possible Hanssen was gay or bisexual, and that an upcoming storyline with a younger female mentee may involve unrequited love.[5] In November 2010, media entertainment website Digital Spy announced that Laila Rouass had been cast as Sahira Shah, a surgeon who shares a "dark history" with Hanssen, who has guided her career.[10]
Hanssen's initial appearances received positive reviews from critics. The Daily Mirror's Jane Simon commended Henry's debut, writing that he was "off to a head-start, carrying off the haughty, brisk arrogance of a top consultant."[11] What's on TV similarly commented that "Henry has a ball playing Holby's new top dog, stealing all the best lines as he adds a wonderful slice of cutting humour to proceedings."[12] Another positive review of Hanssen came from Becky Jones of the Leicester Mercury, who deemed him "the best thing about the programme", with all of the best lines.[13] Rebecca Jordan of OntheBox enjoyed Henry's "sarcastic yet strangely affable" character, comparing him to Gregory House for his ability to diagnose patients "nearly as fast as he distributes withering one-liners." Jordan pinpointed Hanssen's appeal as being the "much-needed humour" he brought to the series, as well as the dynamic between Hanssen and Connie, writing that "the volatile rapport between him and Connie is thoroughly engaging and leaves little doubt in our minds that he will quickly become an exciting addition to the show."[14] What's on TV selected the episode "The Short Straw" as the "Top TV" choice of the day, commenting that "some of the script is a little heavy-handed, but Guy Henry as panto-esque axeman Henrik is particularly good fun".[15] Sarah Ellis writing for Inside Soap said "He's great – but I'm still very glad that he's not my boss!"[16]
In April 2011, The Guardian's Daniel Maier wrote that Hanssen was "the best thing about Holby". Maier observed that "he is unerringly calm and logical and as such represents the voice of the viewer when irrational behaviour threatens to glibly generate plot. Continuing drama is nothing without secrets, unkeepable promises, anger and jealousy and yet Hanssen unerringly roots these out and placidly advises his charges to get on with the job. He's pure quiet efficiency gold when he should be dramatic poison."[17]
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