Martin Henderson: from Kiwi child star to Hollywood...

Interview – 2010

After making his screen debut in 1988 on Margaret Mahy TV series Strangers, actor Martin Henderson spent three years on Shortland Street, before moving on to Australia and the United States. Since then he has acted everywhere from India to Sweden, and in everything from horror (The Ring) to musicals (Bride and Prejudice) to TV’s House MD. His work as Cate Blanchett’s disabled brother in drama Little Fish saw him nominated for an Australian Film Institute supporting actor award. Variety magazine called his performance "a revelation".

In this ScreenTalk interview, Henderson talks about:

Playing Gaylene Preston’s father in Home by Christmas
How Preston kept him on his toes
His lucky break into acting, aged 13, with the TV series Strangers
How three years on Shortland Street was both good and bad for his acting
Working in the United States, and the success of the remake of The Ring
Donning leathers for motorcycle movie Torque
The spirit of collaboration on Australian movie Little Fish

This video was first uploaded on 27 April 2010, and is available under this Creative Commons licence. This licence is limited to use of ScreenTalk interview footage only and does not apply to any video content and photographs from films, television, music videos, web series and commercials used in the interview.

Interview – Ian Pryor. Camera and Editing – Alex Backhouse

It was a challenge for me to try to get better. If I didn't like something then I would go back in the next week, and I would really focus on one aspect of my acting, whether it was physicality or emotion, or trying to be more natural. So I was actually really grateful for the experience you know. It taught me a lot.
– Martin Henderson on how Shortland Street's fast turnaround allowed him to improve his acting

Martin's Full Profile