
John Henshaw
Department: Acting
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.
Known For

Early Doors - Live
2021

Starter for 10
2006

A Bit of Tom Jones?
2009

Looking for Eric
2009

The Angels' Share
2012

The Ringer
2013

The Rochdale Pioneers
2012

Wolf Manor
2022

Put Your Coat On
2002

This Is Not a Love Song
2002

Confessions of a Diary Secretary
2007

Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1974
2009

Olly's Prison
1993

When Saturday Comes
1996

Grow Your Own
2007

The Parole Officer
2001

Happy Now
2001

Swallows and Amazons
2016

Dancin' Thru the Dark
1990

The Fishmonger
2002

A Street Cat Named Bob
2016

6 Days
2017

Someone Else
2006

There's Only One Jimmy Grimble
2000

Pin Cushion
2018

The Keeper
2018

The Night Runner
2014

The Man Who Invented Christmas
2017

In Our Name
2010

Stan & Ollie
2018

The Last British Execution
2013

Coronation Street: Romanian Holiday
2009

I'm Not in Love
2021

Sunny
2019

Closer to the Moon
2014

The Royle Family: Behind the Sofa
2010

Silky Hotel
2021

Open Wide
2005

Cheeky
2003

Fishbrain
—

Early Doors
2003

The Bill
1984

Heartbeat
1992

Life on Mars
2006

The Cops
1998

The Visit
2007

Cutting It
2002

Candy Cabs
2011

Johnny and the Bomb
2006

Documentary Now!
2015

The Full Monty
2023

South Riding
2011

Father Brown
2013

The Royle Family
1998

Casualty
1986

See No Evil: The Moors Murders
2006

The Second Coming
2003

By Any Means
2013

Cracker
1993

The Long Shadow
2023

Cilla
2014

Boat Story
2023

G.B.H.
1991

Going Postal
2010

Heartbeat
1992

Midsomer Murders
1997

Red Riding
2009

Born and Bred
2002

The Afternoon Play
2003

Ridley
2022

Talamasca: The Secret Order
2025

Cradle to Grave
2015

Remembers…
2022

The Grand
1997

The Grand
1997