
John Henshaw
Biography
John Henshaw is a British actor famed for his roles as Ken the landlord in Early Doors, Wilf Bradshaw in Born and Bred and PC Roy Bramwell in The Cops.
Henshaw was born one of 12 children. He grew up in Ancoats, Manchester's "Little Italy" community. He was a refuse collector for ten years before deciding to become an actor at the age of 40.
His first big break in acting was as a minder to Robert Lindsay's character Michael Murray in the acclaimed Channel 4 series, G.B.H. Other TV credits include The Royle Family, The Visit, Life on Mars, whilst film credits include the Steve Coogan comedy The Parole Officer, the Bert Trautmann biopic The Keeper, and the Ken Loach films Looking For Eric and The Angels' Share. Henshaw is chairman of the 24:7 Theatre Festival, an annual festival of new writing for theatre based in Manchester.
Gallery

Known For
Acting History
2025
Talamasca: The Secret Order as Father Brennan
2023Boat Story as Nigel
2023The Long Shadow as Mike Dugdale
2023The Full Monty as Bus Driver
2022Ridley as Frank Stanford
2022Wolf Manor as Thaddeus Saxon (the landlord)
2021Early Doors - Live as Ken
2021Silky Hotel as Jim Knightshade
2021I'm Not in Love as Tony
2019Sunny as Pavlo
2018Stan & Ollie as Nobby Cook
2018The Keeper as Jack Friar
2018Pin Cushion as Percy
2017The Man Who Invented Christmas as Butcher / Mr. Fezziwig
20176 Days as Metropolitan Police Spokesman
2016A Street Cat Named Bob as Tube Station Guard
2016Swallows and Amazons as Harbour Master
2015Cradle to Grave as Mr Glover
2015Documentary Now!
2014Cilla as John White
2014Closer to the Moon as Judge
2014The Night Runner as Dennis
2013By Any Means as Stan Bond
2013The Ringer as Danny
2013The Last British Execution as Marcus Peabody
2013Father Brown as Barny Butterfield
2012The Rochdale Pioneers as John Holt
2012The Angels' Share as Harry
2011Candy Cabs as Mervyn Monkford
2011South Riding as Alfred Huggins
2010The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa as Self
2010In Our Name as Frank
2010Going Postal as Mr Pony
2009Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1974 as Bill Hadley
2009Coronation Street: Romanian Holiday as Glen
2009Looking for Eric as Meatballs
2009Red Riding as Bill Hadley
2009A Bit of Tom Jones? as Bar Owner
2007The Visit as Dad
2007Grow Your Own as Charlie
2007Confessions of a Diary Secretary as John Prescott
2006Starter for 10 as Des
2006Someone Else as Paul
2006See No Evil: The Moors Murders as DCS Arthur Benfield
2006Johnny and the Bomb as Councillor Seeley
2006Life on Mars as Ted Bannister
2005Open Wide as Brian Tonkin
2003Cheeky as Kenny
2003Early Doors as Ken Dixon
2003The Second Coming as Clive Saxon
2003The Afternoon Play as Sir Terry Bucklethwaite
2002The Fishmonger as Davis
2002Put Your Coat On as Dad
2002Born and Bred as Wilf Bradshaw
2002Cutting It as Bruce Gutteridge
2002This Is Not a Love Song as Arthur
2001Happy Now as Pete Copsey
2001The Parole Officer as Cochran
2000There's Only One Jimmy Grimble as Ken Burley
1998The Cops as Roy
1998The Royle Family as Roger Kavanagh
1997Midsomer Murders as Arthur Potts
1996When Saturday Comes as M.C
1993Cracker as Quarry Foreman
1993Olly's Prison as Prisoner (uncredited)
1992Heartbeat as Guard
1992Heartbeat as Albert Ross
1991G.B.H. as Murray's Minder
1990Dancin' Thru the Dark as Doorman
1986Casualty as Lenny Adams
1984The Bill








