Nicky Henson

Nicholas Victor Leslie Henson (12 May 1945 – 15 December 2019) was a British actor.

Early life Henson was born in London, the son of Harriet Martha (née Collins) and comedian Leslie Henson, a few days after VE Day, hence his middle name, Victor. Adam Henson, a farmer and regular presenter on BBC TV's Countryfile, was Henson's nephew; being the son of Nicky's brother Joe Henson.

He attended St. Bede's Prep School in Eastbourne and Charterhouse in Godalming. He entered the stage management course at RADA being below the minimum age for the acting course, to which he transferred as planned the following year. He 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.

Career Television Henson appeared in various television roles, including guest roles in Fawlty Towers, Minder, Boon, Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost, Heartbeat, After You've Gone, Lovejoy and Doctors. In 1990 he played the doctor in the BBC’s adaptation of Kingsley Amis’ Ghost story The Green Man. He played the eponymous hero in Shine on Harvey Moon when the series was revived in 1995.

In 2005, he played Hugo, an antiques dealer, in Bad Girls. In February 2006, Henson joined the cast of EastEnders, playing Jack Edwards. Henson left the production towards the end of the year due to health problems.

Henson played three different characters in the police drama series The Bill, the first in 1991, the second in 1998, and the third in 2007. In 2010, he appeared as Charles Grigg, a former acquaintance of Carson the butler, in an episode of Downton Abbey and appeared in two episodes in 2013. He also played Randolph Mepstead, the older brother of David Jason's character in the pilot episode of the mid-1970s series Lucky Feller.

Henson played the role of Mr Johnson in the Fawlty Towers episode "The Psychiatrist". He stated that despite his 50 years of professional acting, his tombstone will probably read "Here lies Nicky Henson – he was in one episode of Fawlty Towers". He was paid a modest appearance fee and he was told he might earn the same again in repeats fees.

Films Henson's film appearances include Witchfinder General (1968), There's a Girl in My Soup (1970), Mosquito Squadron (1970) and Psychomania (1973). He graduated to lead roles in The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones (1976) and No. 1 of the Secret Service (1977), before returning to supporting roles in Vera Drake (2004) and George Clooney's Syriana (2005).

Theatre On stage, Henson played many Shakespearean characters (including a period with the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1977) and had leading roles in Look Back in Anger, Man and Superman, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, She Stoops to Conquer, Noises Off and others. 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. Henson played Colonel Vershinin in a notable 1990 production of Anton Chekhov's play Three Sisters, alongside the Cusack sisters (Sorcha, Niamh, and Sinead) and their father Cyril Cusack at London's Royal Court Theatre. 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.

Henson 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.

Radio Henson played Lemuel "Chipper" Barnet in Space Force series 1 and 2 (1984–1985). He also played Major in Dombey and Son (BBC Radio 15 Minute Drama, 2007).

Personal life, illness and death Henson married actress Una Stubbs (who played his sister-in-law Caroline Bishop in EastEnders). The couple had two sons, including Christian.

He later married ballerina Marguerite Porter, with whom he had a third son, Keaton.

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 have been dangerous to remove them. As such, he was put on a regime of chemotherapy and he worked regularly to raise funds for cancer charities, especially Marie Curie Cancer Care. He died on 15 December 2019, aged 74.

Filmography +Film Year Title Role Notes 1964 Father Came Too! Motorcyclist 1965 Every Day's a Holiday Tailor's Shop Customer Uncredited 1966 Doctor in Clover Boutique Assistant 1967 The Jokers Man at Party with Hunting Horn 1967 I'll Never Forget What's'isname Young Man at Disco Uncredited 1968 Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush Craig Foster 1968 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia Paul 1968 Witchfinder General Trooper Swallow 1969 Crooks and Coronets Lord Freddie Fitzmore 1969 Mosquito Squadron Flight Sergeant Wiley Bunce 1969 The Coward Revue Television film 1970 There's a Girl in My Soup Jimmy 1972 All Coppers Are... Barry 1973 Psychomania Tom Latham 1973 The Love Ban Baker 1973 Penny Gold Rogers 1974 Vampira Marc Williams 1975 Bedtime with Rosie Fantasy Man Uncredited 1976 The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones Tom Jones 1977 No. 1 of the Secret Service No. 1 / Charles Bind 1980 The Double Dealer Brisk Television film 1981 A Midsummer Night's Dream Demetrius Television film 1982 Anyone for Denis? Vouvrey Television film 1985 Tropical Moon Over Dorking Rex Television film 1985 Absurd Person Singular Sidney Hopcroft Television film 1986 Season's Greetings Neville Television film 1988 Star Trap Adam Blunt Television film 1993 Micky Love Martin Bowen Television film 1994 The Healer Dr Ralph Raebryte Television film 1996 Death at Broadcasting House Detective Sergeant Ring Direct-to-video 1997 From the Bottom of a Well Direct-to-video 1998 Anorak of Fire Jim O'Rourke Television film 1999 Parting Shots Askew 2001 Me Without You Ray 2001 Death, Deceit and Destiny Aboard the Orient Express Tom Finlay 2001 Love or Money Guy Television film 2002 Flyfishing Howard 2004 Vera Drake Private Doctor 2004 The Fete Ray Short 2005 A Waste of Shame John Shakespeare Television film 2005 Syriana Sydney Hewitt 2006 A Quiet Drink Peter Short 2008 Dr. No: The Radio Play Chief of Staff 2011 Blitz Superintendent Brown 2012 Truth or Dare Mr Hautbois Uncredited 2012 Run for Your Wife Hospital Patient 2014 We Still Kill the Old Way (2014 film) Jack Houghton 2015 Narcopolis Chief Ballard 2015 Draw on Sweet Night Sir Thomas Kytson 2015 Brackish Water Richard Holmwood Short 2016 Tommy's Honour Charles Kinloch 2016 Gozo Tony 2016 We Still Steal the Old Way Jack Houghton 2017 The Holly Kane Experiment Marvin Greenslade 2018 Tango One Latham Final film role

+Television Year Title Role Notes 1961 The Avengers Crowd member Series 1, episode 20 1964 Paris 1900 Dardillon Series 1, episode 5 1964 The Human Jungle (Uncredited) Series 2, episode 8 1966 The Frost Report Various roles Series 1 (13 episodes) 1967 Vacant Lot Rock Series 1, episodes 1 & 3 1968 ITV Playhouse Amos Wild Series 1, episode 21 1971 Shirley's World Beanie Series 1, episode 7 1971 Comedy Playhouse Nicky Series 11, episode 5 1972 BBC Show of the Week 1 episode 1972 Arthur of the Britons Garet Series 1, episode 3 1974 Comedy Playhouse Nick Ransley Series 14, episode 9 1975 Prometheus: The Life of Balzac Honore de Balzac Miniseries (6 episodes) 1975 Lucky Feller Randolph 'Randy' Mepstead Pilot episode 1977 The Foundation Douggie Taylor Series 1 (4 episodes) 1977 Cottage to Let Steve Series 1, episode 4 1978 That's the Way the Money Goes Paul Series 1 (8 episodes) 1979 Fawlty Towers Mr Johnson Series 2, episode 2 1979 Minder George Wilson Series 1, episode 2 1980 Seagull Island Martin Foster Miniseries (5 episodes) 1981 Whoops Apocalypse Engelbert (uncredited) Series 1, episode 4 1982 BBC2 Playhouse Tosh Series 8, episode 29 1983 The Happy Apple Charles Murray Series 1 (7 episodes) 1984 Driving Ambition Allan Hearshner Series 1, episodes 5 & 8 1987 Sunday Premiere Alistair 1 episode 1986 "" Season's Greetings" by Alan Aykbourne BBC play 1987 Home to Roost Edward Willows Series 3, episode 2 1988 Singles Gerry Series 1, episode 5 1988 Thin Air Richard Heller Miniseries (5 episodes) 1989 Inspector Morse Vince Cranston Series 3, episode 3 1989 Boon Terry Patterson Series 4, episode 13 1990 After Henry Ian Series 3, episode 10 1990–1991 The Upper Hand Michael Wheatley Series 1–2 (4 episodes) 1990 The Green Man Jack Miniseries (3 episodes) 1991 The Bill Colin Mathews Series 7, episodes 75 & 76 1992 Between the Lines Ch. Supt. Charlie McGregor Series 1, episode 10 1993 Wales Playhouse Gruff Series 2, episode 3 1993 Sitting Pretty Philip Series 2, episode 1 1994 Health and Efficiency Anthony Bolt Series 1, episode 4 1994 Class Act Sammy Buchanan Series 1, episode 2 1995 Shine on Harvey Moon Harvey Moon Series 5 (main role, 12 episodes) 1995–1997 All Quiet on the Preston Front Greg Scarry Series 2–3 (5 episodes) 1995 Coronation Street: The Feature Length Special Henri de Vence Direct-to-video 1996 Pie in the Sky Harrington Smithfield Series 4, episode 3 1997 Paul Merton in Galton and Simpson's... CID Officer Series 2, episode 2 1998 The Bill John Defoe Series 14, episode 67 1999–2000 A Touch of Frost DS Larry Finlay Series 7, episodes 1 & 2 2001 Midsomer Murders Simon Reason Series 4, episode 5 2002 Heartbeat Alan Jones Series 11, episode 16 2002 NCS: Manhunt Vincent Fairey Series 1, episodes 3 & 5 2003 Swiss Toni Mike Black Series 1, episode 3 2003 Blue Dove Gerry Weston Miniseries 2005 Bad Girls Hugo Series 7, episode 3 2006 EastEnders Jack Edwards 37 episodes 2007 Midsomer Murders Terence Charteris Series 10, episode 7 2007 After You've Gone David Series 2, episode 4 2007 The Bill Vince Murray Series 23, episodes 73 & 74 2008 Doctors Carl Knight Series 9, episode 205 2010 Casualty A Dawson (uncredited) Series 24, episode 20 2010, 2013 Downton Abbey Charles Grigg Series 1 & 4 (3 episodes) 2014 No Point Charity Shop Customer 2016 Grantchester Frank Archer Series 2, episode 2 2017 Doctors Eddie Canbray Series 19, episode 57