*Warning: Spoilers ahead*
Now that the fifth season of Virgin River is hitting on Netflix on September 7, we’re becoming more and more curious about the protagonist who stars alongside Mel, Jack Sheridan. Turns out, the actor’s name is Martin Henderson, and he has a pretty impressive resume (he was even featured in one of Britney Spears’s most popular music videos). Read on for everything we know about the hit show’s male lead.
Martin Henderson is a New Zealand actor currently known for his role as Jack Sheridan on Virgin River. The 48-year-old star previously opened up to Entertainment Weekly about his experience on the show. "It's been really nice, the response to the show," he told the outlet. "It's such a cultural phenomenon."
The hit Netflix series centers around Melinda “Mel” Monroe, who answers an ad to work as a nurse practitioner in the remote California town of Virgin River to get a fresh start on life. She quickly realizes that small town living isn't quite as simple as she expected, and she soon learns that her past secrets can only stay buried for so long.
In season four, Jack is trying to support Mel’s pregnancy even though he doesn’t know if he’s the father. His stress only increases when his dad arrives in town to criticize everything about his life. Meanwhile, Charmaine is preparing to welcome the twins, and she’s receiving little-to-no help from her beau, Todd.
Aside from Henderson and Breckenridge, the series also stars including Colin Lawrence (John “Preacher” Middleton), Jenny Cooper (Joey Barnes), Lauren Hammersley (Charmaine Roberts), Annette O’Toole (Hope McCrea) and Tim Matheson (Vernon “Doc” Mullins).
Turns out, he’s been in a ton of movies and TV shows in a variety of genres. One of Henderson's first projects was playing Geoff Thomas in the long-running Australian soap opera, Home and Away. In 2002, he starred opposite Naomi Watts in the horror mystery, The Ring (which, according to Henderson, was a part he didn’t need to audition for).
Two years later, (ready for this) he landed what would turn out to be an unforgettable cameo in Britney Spears's "Toxic" music video. And up until 2015, he starred in a handful of films and shows including Smokin' Aces, Off the Map, Secrets and Lies and Everest.
Perhaps one of his most iconic roles (pre-Virgin River, of course) was his two-year stint as Meredith's love interest, Dr. Nathan Riggs, on Grey's Anatomy, from 2015 to 2017. His most recent appearance was in a mystery series called My Life Is Murder.
So that’s why he looked so familiar.
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