Actor Douglas Henshall has been swotting up to play the dad of a ‘problem child’
Reclining in the couch and jotting down notes, actor Douglas Henshall listened to the psychiatrist.
But he wasn’t in therapy he was researching his role as a doctor in C4’s Psychos. And Douglas has delved into medical books again for his latest role in a moving three-part drama Kid in the Corner.
‘It’s amazing what you can learn as an actor,’ says Douglas, who plays the father of eight-year-old special-needs boy Danny.
‘It’s a powerful drama and some scenes were difficult to do, says Douglas. ‘There’s one in particular where my character has to beat his son. Eric Byrne, who plays Danny obviously didn’t come to any physical harm but the scenes had to look realistic.’
As the story unfolds, Danny is diagnosed as having Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which makes life so difficult for both him and his family. And the drama deals not only with the condition, but also the way it affects Danny’s parents, Theresa and Alex, and his teenage sister, Lucy.
‘It sounds depressing but while it’s moving and at times, powerful, it’s never bleak,’ says Douglas.
Kid in the Corner is partly autobiographical. Writer Tony Marchant has a son with Asperger’s Syndrome – a mild form of autism – and drew on his experiences.
‘It’s a story many parents will recognise even if they don’t have a special needs child, says Tony. ‘Everyone understands difficult children.
‘Kid in the Corner shows it’s not always easy to love our children, but it’s important to show them the love we do feel for them,’ he adds.
Douglas, meanwhile is fast becoming famous thanks to Psychos and his roles in the films If Only (1998) and This Year’s Love (1999).
However, he laughs off suggestions that he’s heart-throb material.
‘I don’t see any woman finding a small, red-haired Glaswegian attractive.’
By: Tim Oglethorpe