Martin Henderson born 8 October 1974 is a versatile New Zealand actor with an impressive career in both television and film. Internationally, he's recognized for his roles in the American medical dramas Off the Map as Dr. Ben Keeton (2011), Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Nathan Riggs (2015–2017), and the Netflix romantic drama Virgin River as Jack Sheridan (2019–present).

He gained further acclaim for his role as Noah Clay in the 2002 horror film The Ring. In his home country, Henderson is also well-known for his early work as Stuart Neilson in the popular soap opera Shortland Street (1992–1995).

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, to Ian and Veronica Henderson, Martin Henderson's parents divorced when he was just five years old. He began acting at the age of thirteen, making his debut in the local television production Strangers.

He attended Birkenhead Primary, Northcote Intermediate, and Westlake Boys High School, where he was an accomplished rugby player, winning championships in 1990 and 1991. Despite initially considering a career in science and business, Henderson chose to pursue acting over university studies when he was 17.

Henderson's acting career took off in 1992 when, at the age of 17, he starred as Stuart Neilson in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street. He played the role until 1995, during which time the show became New Zealand's longest-running drama. After leaving Shortland Street, Henderson moved to Australia, where he appeared in various films and television productions, including Echo Point and Home and Away.


In 1997, Henderson relocated to the United States to pursue a career in Hollywood. He enrolled in a two-year program at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, supporting himself by working as a restaurant food runner at night. During this time, he starred as Hamlet in the off-Broadway play Ophelia Thinks Harder. However, he left the program midway and moved to Los Angeles to focus on his career.

With the support of fellow actor Heath Ledger, who helped him financially during a difficult period, Henderson landed his first Hollywood role in a Fanta commercial, speaking with an Australian accent. His breakthrough came in 2001 when he was cast in a supporting role in John Woo's war film Windtalkers. The following year, Henderson starred opposite Naomi Watts in the horror film The Ring, which was a box office success. This led to roles in films such as Perfect Opposites and the biker film Torque (2004). He also starred alongside Aishwarya Rai in the British romantic film Bride and Prejudice and appeared in Britney Spears' "Toxic" music video.

In 2005, Henderson appeared in the critically acclaimed film Little Fish alongside Cate Blanchett. The following year, he received praise for his performance in the London West End production of Fool for Love with Juliette Lewis.

Despite a setback with the unpicked television adaptation of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Henderson continued to find success in both film and television. He starred in the 2006 film Flyboys and appeared in a commercial for the 2008 Cadillac CTS. In 2010, he was cast in Shonda Rhimes' short-lived series Off the Map as a New Zealand doctor. He also starred in the Australian drama series Secrets & Lies and the SundanceTV drama series The Red Road.

In 2015, Henderson appeared in the film Everest alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. That same year, he joined the cast of Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Nathan Riggs, a potential love interest for Ellen Pompeo's character, Meredith Grey. He remained on the show until 2017, when his character's storyline was wrapped up. Henderson later starred opposite Jennifer Garner in the film Miracles from Heaven (2016).

Since 2019, Henderson has co-starred in the Netflix series Virgin River as Jack Sheridan, a former Marine with PTSD. The series has been renewed for multiple seasons, solidifying Henderson's role as a leading actor on the platform. In 2022, he appeared in the A24 horror film X as Wayne Gilroy.

As of 2017, Henderson resides in Los Angeles with his dog.