Forever Home's Douglas Henshall reveals his 'heartbreaking' family dementia diagnosis
The former Shetland star plays a man with dementia in the new Channel 5 thriller
Forever Home sees TV favourite Douglas Henshall tackle one of his most challenging roles to date – a man diagnosed with early-onset dementia.
Anyone who watched Anthony Hopkins in the 2020 film The Father will know it’s no easy task. No surprise at all that Antony won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a man with dementia (the oldest-ever acting Oscar winner in history at the age of 83).
In new Channel 5 thriller Forever Home, Douglas portrays a man in his 60s grappling with memory loss as his wife struggles to keep him at home. Ultimately, the character ends up in a care home against his wishes.
It’s a tough watch, albeit all too common. And a condition that most families have had experience of. Not least Douglas himself, who has his own “heartbreaking” family connection to dementia.
Forever Home’s Douglas Henshall has own experience of dementia
Scottish actor Douglas Henshall is 60 in real life, slightly younger than his Forever Home character Robert Barrie who is in his early 60s. In the Channel 5 thriller, Robert is slowly losing his memory to early-onset dementia.
Sadly, like many of us, he has his own personal recollections of dementia to draw from to play the part. He told us: “My grandmother had Alzheimer’s, my dad has dementia, and my father-in-law had dementia. So, I have quite a bit of experience of it and the odd ways that it manifests itself. Some of it is nuts and other bits are just heartbreaking.”
He added: “My grandmother called the police down to her house to say that there were naked dwarves who had stolen her pension book. This was about 40 years ago. Where did she conjure that image from? And then there is the other side of that. Just watching somebody trying to remember who you are or who you might be. And those moments of clarity. That little glimmer in the eyes where for a moment they are there again.”
Before his diagnosis, Douglas Henshall’s dad worked as a commission-only salesman.
Reason why Douglas didn’t read the book the series is based on
The six-part series is based on the Graham Norton book of the same name. But actor Douglas chose not to read the novel in preparation for the role.
He explained: “I didn’t read the book. I think it’s very different, so I didn’t want to confuse myself. I decided to do a thing that I hadn’t done before – I only read my bits of the script. If I am playing someone with early-onset dementia, then I thought perhaps it would help me if the less that I knew what was going on the better.
“I was constantly having to question why certain things were being said and what my responses might be. I could have really tied myself up in knots, but it seemed like a good idea, so I just went with it. Our producer, the directors, and Amy Nuttall all knew that that was something that I was doing. So if there was something I desperately needed to know, me Dougie, they could fill me in a little bit.”
Forever Home is a series about a ‘terrible secret’
Describing the series, Douglas explained it’s about a family who has a “terrible, terrible secret that has often been hidden for decades”.
He revealed: “In the media, they always end up interviewing neighbours and work colleagues who say the family seemed so lovely and normal and the heart and soul of the community. I suppose that’s what Forever Home is. [My character] Robert is in a horrendous situation.
“It’s the amount of denial that must be present to be able to continue with this façade while underneath the turmoil is enormous. I like all those components in this, which is partly what makes it such a great story and one that is so well told. To all intents and purposes, the Barries are a perfectly normal family. And like most normal families they do have their skeletons in the closet. It’s just that theirs happens to be in a freezer in the cellar.”
