| Nicky Henson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nicholas Victor Leslie Henson 12 May 1945 London, England, UK |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Spouse | Una Stubbs (1969–75) Marguerite Porter (1986–present) |
Nicholas Victor Leslie "Nicky" Henson (born 12 May 1945) is an English actor who has portrayed many roles since 1963. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1977. He was born in London.
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A son of the comedian Leslie Henson, Nicky Henson attended St. Bede's Prep School, Eastbourne and Charterhouse School in Godalming.[1] He trained as a stage manager at RADA, and first appeared on stage himself as a guitarist. As a member of the Young Vic Company he played Pozzo in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot.
Some of Henson's most notable television roles include the Fawlty Towers episode The Psychiatrist, as ladies' man Mr. Johnson, playing DS Harry Finlay in A Touch of Frost and playing George in the episode "Bury my Half at Waltham Green" in Series 1 of the popular drama series Minder. He also appeared in an episode of Police Drama; Heartbeat; Second Chances in 2002, Playing Alan Jones; The man who had disappeared 20 years previously. In February 2006, Henson joined the cast of the BBC1 soap opera EastEnders, playing "Jack Edwards". Henson left the production towards the end of the year due to health problems (see personal life).
Henson appeared in one episode of the sitcom After You've Gone. Henson starred in two episodes of The Bill, on 4 October 2007 and again on 10 October. He guest-starred in an episode of the daytime medical drama Doctors. In 2010, he appeared in an episode of the ITV period drama Downton Abbey.[2]
Nicky Henson's film appearances include Witchfinder General (1968), There's a Girl in My Soup (1970), Psychomania (1971), Vera Drake (2004), and George Clooney's Syriana (2005).
On stage, Henson has played many Shakespearian characters and has had leading roles in Look Back in Anger, Man and Superman, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, She Stoops to Conquer, Noises Off and many other plays. He appeared as Mordred in the original 1964 London version of Camelot opposite Laurence Harvey as King Arthur . Henson made his Broadway debut in a production of Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband, opposite Stephanie Beacham. He was nominated for a 1998 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical of 1997 for his role in Enter the Guardsman.
He started directing with a Restoration workshop at LAMDA with a production of The Provok'd Wife. In 2009 he directed the Jack Shepherd play Only When I Laugh at the Arcola Theatre in London and Alan Ayckbourn's Intimate Exchanges at Sheringham Little Theatre.
He played Lemuel 'Chipper' Barnet in Space Force (1984–85).
Nicky Henson was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. Surgeons removed tumours from around his spleen, but a routine check-up in 2006 showed that other tumours had grown and it would be dangerous to remove them. Henson was put on a regimen of chemotherapy, and now works regularly to raise funds for cancer charities, especially Marie Curie Cancer Care.[3]
Henson has two sons, Joe and Christian, by his first wife, actress Una Stubbs (who incidentally played his sister-in-law Caroline Bishop in EastEnders). Both his sons are composers. He is currently married to Marguerite Porter, a ballerina, by whom he has a third son, Keaton. His nephew is Adam Henson.