Douglas Henshall, Actor, Born Glasgow, 1965
What posters did you have on your walls when you were growing up?
I was never really big on film stars or bands so I didn’t have posters, but I went through a big Rangers phase and my parents painted my whole room in the red, white and blue team colours.
Did you have any hobbies?
I used to play chess quite a lot with my sisters, and I went to judo classes for a while, but only made it as far as yellow belt. I used to take up hobbies and sports but then drop them again pretty quickly, like most kids.
Which football team did you support?
When I was about seven, I supported Rangers, but my dad stopped me from going to the grounds because of the sectarianism, so I ended up going up the street to support St Mirren instead. I think the team didn’t matter to me so much as being able to go and watch the big games.
Were your parents strict?
I had two older sisters, so by the time my parents got to me they were pretty fair. I did quite well out of that, although, as a boy I could never twist my dad round my wee finger like they could. My only bone of contention was that I was never allowed to have a leather jacket. My dad was convinced that only neds wore them.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a football commentator but I never got enough qualifications to study journalism. Then I wanted to go to art school, but I didn’t get a portfolio together in time, so I thought, “Oh well, I’ll be an actor then.”
Did you have a nickname at school?
One guy used to call me Marty after Marty Feldman, that comedian with really big eyes. I wasn’t very happy about that one.
Were you good at sport?
I taught myself to play tennis off the telly, and became Paisley and district tennis champion at school. I had to give up tennis when I went to drama school, but I could have been a contender.
Were you an academic success?
Not really. I got four O levels and two A levels.
What were you like at school?
I was always a bit of an outsider. I was always trying to join in, but never really felt part of anything. It wasn’t until the sixth form that I finally decided what I wanted to do and felt comfortable and happy with myself.
Did you cheat in exams?
I never managed to do it. I always ended up sitting up next to somebody who deliberately hid their work with their arm, so no matter how hard I tried to look I couldn’t see their answers.
What was your first job?
When I was about 15 or 16, I had a job in a big department store called Lewis’s. I worked in the menswear section selling jackets and Farrah trousers at a time when no one would’ve been seen dead in them. A couple of years ago, Farah trousers made a comeback, and I was like, “NO! You CAN’T wear them.”
What was your first acting role?
We did a production of Mutiny on the Bounty at primary school and I had to dance the sailor’s hornpipe. I wanted to be the cabin boy but somebody else got that part.
Did you have radical haircuts?
I always wanted to have long hair, but my hair was really thick, so when I tried to wear it long it ended up going wide instead.
What was the first record you bought?
“Milk and Alcohol,” by Dr Feelgood.
What was the first gig you went to?
AC/DC at the Glasgow Apollo when I was 12. Loads of headbanging with my wide hair. It was excellent.
Were you fashion conscious?
No. I remember when Grease came out. Three of my mates lined me up. They were wearing their black cut-off T-shirts and their black jeans, and I was standing there in a pair of cords and a beige bomber jacket. They said, “Look, if you’re going to carry on hanging around with us you’re just going to have to start dressing a wee bit more the part.” And I thought, “But you all look the same. B******* to that.”
Were you a cool teenager?
When I was a student, my mates and I got into the U2 bleached jeans look and I had this long, black Echo and the Bunnymen style wool coat. We had this mate who was a second-hand car dealer, and we used to tuen up at gigs in big f***-*** Bentleys, and come out with our long coats on. I was very cool then.
When did you first get drunk?
The very first time was when I was about 18 months old and my family came round for Christmas. I was left in the living room on my own and started drinking everyone’s drinks. My parents found me fast asleep in front of the fire and I stayed there until the next day. The next time was when I was13 and I went camping with two of my mates. One of them was sick outside the tent, but the tent was on a slope and I remember sick rolling back across the grass. We just managed to close the tent flap before the vomit slid into our sleeping bags.
Who was the first famous person you had a crush on?
Sally James from Tiswas.
When was your first kiss?
When I was about five, with a lassie who lived just a couple of doors up from me. We had a kind of snog, but I’d only ever seen kisses in the movies before, so I only had a rough idea what I was\supposed to do with my mouth. I was really embarrassed after that though – I ran past her house for ages.
Who did you first fall in love with?
This French girl who was staying with one of my best friends. I only met her four times but I fell madly in love with her. I never saw her again after she went back, but we wrote to each other for nearly four years.
Interview by Maria Paggetti for Esquire magazine February 1999