Virgin River star Martin Henderson's life from Heath Ledger bond to Britney Spears link

Virgin River season 6 official trailer

Martin Henderson, star of Virgin River as the beloved Jack Sheridan, has fans eager to delve into his story but what's to uncover about the accomplished New Zealander?

The heartwarming tales of love in Virgin River have returned with season six landing on Netflix in its entirety on Thursday, December 19.

Central to these latest chapters is the long-awaited wedding of Jack Sheridan, portrayed by Martin Henderson, and Mel Monroe played by Alexandra Breckenridge.

As the Netflix romantic saga makes its comeback, viewers are keen to peel back the layers on the show's 50-year-old protagonist.

Early life

Hailed from Auckland, New Zealand, Henderson was born in 1974 into the family of Ian and Veronica Henderson who, sadly, parted ways when he was merely five years old.

His acting journey kicked off at the tender age of 13 with a part in the local TV series Strangers.

He then opted out of university education, instead chosing to chase his acting ambitions full-time.

Inside Martin Henderson's life from the 'angel' that helped his sobriety journey to Britney Spears' conservatorship (Image: GETTY)

Virgin River's Martin Henderson was friends with late actor Heath Ledger. (Image: GETTY)

In 1992, Henderson captured hearts as Stuart Neilson on New Zealand's cherished soap opera Shortland Street, calling it his artistic home for three years.

Venturing to Australia, Henderson spent another three years appearing in notable works such as Echo Point and Home And Away, before setting his sights on American shores.

Heath Ledger support

He shared screen space with the late Heath Ledger in 1996 while working on the drama Sweat based in New Zealand.

Henderson reminisced in an interview about how he "convinced" Ledger to make the jump from Perth to Sydney, the city he referred to as the "Hollywood of Australia".

Before moving to America and achieving significant success in Mel Gibson's The Patriot, Ledger had a similar journey. Henderson also relocated to the US but struggled to find work until Ledger stepped in to assist him.

He remarked: "He [Ledger] was very supportive and generous, giving me some money that he got on the movie."

Sobriety

The star of Jack Sheridan went on to appear in major films and shows such as Big Sky, The Ring, Off The Map, Secrets And Lies, Grey's Anatomy, and My Life Is Murder.

Despite his success, Henderson grappled with alcohol abuse in his twenties and realised he needed to make a change.

In a candid conversation with Home And Family, he revealed: "There's been a few key periods in my life where I had to take a leap of faith and one of the biggest was for me when I was 27-years-old and I had had a history of alcohol abuse and I decided to get sober."

However, after quitting alcohol, he feared losing his friends and leading a miserable life.

His life took a turn on his 27th birthday at the Auckland Art Gallery when a stranger transformed his life.

"There was this teeny little Scottish woman who was from Edinburgh where my mom was born and it just so happened that her and I were the only ones on the tour that day.

"For some unknown reason I had never met this woman, I didn't know her I just blurted out, I said 'I've got to share something with you, I'm really terrified.

"'I just gave up drinking and I don't know what to do and I'm scared and I've got all this shame about how I've been living.' I was really quite a mess."

Virgin River star Martin Henderson featured in the Britney Spears music video for Toxic. (Image: HSI PRODUCTIONS) SUBSCRIBE Invalid email

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"And she just stood there and listened intently to everything I had to say and there was something so warm about the way she was receiving my story that I just kept unloading more and more."

The woman then revealed that she ran an alcoholic treatment center and had spent "the last 35 years helping alcoholics and drug addicts".

She "proceeded to give me the most incredibly inspired supportive talk".

"She was definitely an angel. And I think about her from time to time."

Britney Spears

Henderson, who gained fame for his appearance in Britney Spears' 2004 music video for 'Toxic', got to know the pop icon personally while on set.

Spears was infamously caught in a conservatorship under her father's control, which governed her life and finances for nearly 14 years until its termination in 2021.

Before the conservatorship ended, Henderson spoke highly of Spears to Page Six, calling her a "genuinely good person" despite not having insider knowledge of her situation.

He expressed: "I felt so much of what was happening to her was because of the way she was hounded and treated.

"I think anybody in that kind of situation with that kind of stress would have moments of struggle."

He further commented: "I would hate to think she's being controlled or manipulated in any way because I think she's really a beautiful person."

Girlfriend

Henderson is in a committed relationship with fellow Kiwi and interior designer Penny Hay. The details of their relationship, such as its duration or when they first met, remain unknown.

However, they live together on New Zealand's Great Barrier Island along with her two children.

Previously, Henderson has been linked romantically to celebrities like model Aisha Mendez, director Helen Randag, and Demi Moore post her divorce from Ashton Kutcher.

Virgin River is available to watch on Netflix.

Virgin River star Martin Henderson's life from Heath Ledger bond to Britney Spears link

Virgin River star Martin Henderson's life from Heath Ledger bond to Britney Spears link

Virgin River star Martin Henderson's life from Heath Ledger bond to Britney Spears link

Virgin River star Martin Henderson's life from Heath Ledger bond to Britney Spears link

Virgin River star Martin Henderson's life from Heath Ledger bond to Britney Spears link