Daniel Edwin Henshall (born 1982) is an Australian actor. Following his film debut in Snowtown (2011), for which he won the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Henshall has appeared in films such as The Babadook (2014), Okja (2017), Acute Misfortune (2018), Catch the Fair One (2021) and Mickey 17 (2025).
Early life and education Daniel Henshall was born and raised in Sydney, Australia.
He graduated from the full time acting program at Actors Centre Australia in 2006.
Career Henshall's first major role was on the short lived BBC soap Out of the Blue (2008), where he played happy go lucky, Adam 'Ado' O'Donnell.
He won the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his debut feature film performance as real life serial killer, John Bunting, in Justin Kurzel's Snowtown (2011). Indiewire named it one of the best performances of 2012. Snowtown was selected to play at Critics' Week during the Cannes Film Festival where it was awarded two special mention prizes.
Henshall originated the role of Dan Oldfield in the initial sell-out seasons of The Secret River (2013) written by Andrew Bovell, commissioned by Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton for The Sydney Theatre Company.
For four seasons he played co-lead, whaler spy Caleb Brewster, alongside Jamie Bell, Heather Lind and Seth Numrich in the AMC revolutionary war series Turn: Washington's Spies (2014–2017).
Writer/Director Jennifer Kent cast him as Nurse Robbie, opposite Essie Davis, in the universally praised, modern cult classic, The Babadook (2014). The Babadook had its world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
In the DreamWorks live-action version of the Ghost in the Shell (2017) he played Skinny Man, an AI corrupted vigilante, opposite Scarlett Johansson. Johansson and Henshall battle it out in a recreation of the famous water fight and interrogation scenes of the original 1995 Anime of the same name.
Oscar-winning Director Bong Joon-ho cast him as Blonde, animal rights-activist and boyfriend of Silver, alongside Paul Dano, Steven Yeun, Lily Collins and Devon Bostick, in the action-adventure feature film Okja (2017). Okja competed for the Palme d'or in Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
He played white supremacist Slayer, opposite Jamie Bell, Vera Farmiga and Bill Camp, in Skin (2018), based on the life of Bryon Widner and work of Daryle Lamont Jenkins. Skin had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
Henshall was nominated for the Film Critics Circle of Australia and Australian Film Critics Association Awards for Best Actor for his performance as Archibald Prize-winning artist Adam Cullen in Acute Misfortune (2019), opposite Toby Wallace and directed by Thomas M. Wright. Acute Misfortune was named best Australian film of 2019 by The Guardian.
He played murder suspect Leonard Patz, opposite Chris Evans and Cherry Jones, in the Apple TV+ thriller Defending Jacob (2020), directed by Morten Tyldum.
He was Daryl Dunn, criminal on the run turned Santa, in the Stan family Christmas comedy, A Sunburnt Christmas (2020), directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren.
Next Henshall played grieving brother turned vigilante, Simon Burton, in the Netflix limited series Clickbait (2021), opposite Zoe Kazan, Adrian Grenier and Phoenix Raei.
In the film Catch the Fair One (2021) directed by Josef Kubota Wladyka, he plays Bobby, heir to a human trafficking syndicate, opposite Kali Reis and Kevin Dunn. Catch the Fair One premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival where it won the Audience Award.
Henshall has a cameo in the third and final season of the cult FX series Mr Inbetween (2022), opposite creator Scott Ryan and directed by Nash Edgerton.
He was nominated for a AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama for his work as Patrick, the fraudulent son of a bankrupt mining family, opposite Mark Coles Smith in Mystery Road: Origin (2022), directed by Dylan River.
In The Royal Hotel (2023), directed by Kitty Green, he plays barfly and menace, Dolly, opposite Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick and Hugo Weaving. The Royal Hotel had its world premiere at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival.
Henshall was nominated for the 2025 AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his work as Joe, in the 2024 Warner Bros film How to Make Gravy (an adaptation of the iconic Australian song of the same name by singer-songwriter Paul Kelly), opposite Hugo Weaving, Agathe Rousselle and Damon Herriman, and directed by Nick Waterman.
In the Warner Bros space odyssey Mickey 17, visionary director Bong Joon-Ho once again cast him, this time as bald man-servant and believer, Preston, opposite Mark Ruffalo, Robert Pattinson and Naomi Ackie.
In the multi-generational family drama Jimpa, directed by Sophie Hyde, Daniel plays Harry opposite Olivia Colman, Aud Mason-Hyde and John Lithgow. Jimpa had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it was the opening night film.
Henshall was nominated twice for the 2026 AACTA Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama. First, for his work as Bill McFarlane in the award-winning ABC Australia series The Newsreader, opposite Anna Torv and directed by Emma Freeman, and second, for his work as Nigel, in the ABC Australia hit The Family Next Door also directed by Emma Freeman and opposite Ming-Zhu Hii and Teresa Palmer. He won for his role in the The Newsreader.
Daniel was also nominated for the 2026 Logie Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his work as Nigel in The Family Next Door.
He played Uncle Vanya in the Melbourne Theatre Company production of Uncle Vanya (2026), adapted by Joanna Murray-Smith and directed by the company's Artistic Director Anne-Louise Sarks.
Next he will be seen as Donald 'Donnie' Reid in the Apple TV+ limited series Last Seen directed by Christian Schwochow and opposite Patrick Brammall, Maxine Peake and Brendan Cowell.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2011Snowtown John Bunting 2012Not Suitable for Children Dave Any Questions for Ben? Nick 2013These Final Hours Freddy 2014The Babadook Robbie Fell Luke 2017Ghost in the Shell Skinny Man Okja Blonde 2019Acute MisfortuneAdam CullenSkin Slayer 2020Measure for Measure Lukey A Sunburnt Christmas Daryl Dun 2021 Catch the Fair One Bobby 2023 The Royal Hotel Dolly 2024 How to Make Gravy Joe 2025 Jimpa Harry Mickey 17 Preston
Television Year Title Role NotesRef 2007 All Saints Tim Downly Episode: "The Pain of It All " 2008 Out of the Blue Adam 'Ado' O'Donnell Main cast 2010 Rescue Special Ops Trevor Slezack Episode: "Street Legal" 2012 Rake Clown Episode: "R vs Mohammed" Devil's Dust Jock Ensemble 2013 Mr & Mrs Murder Gregor Cheresniak Episode: "Atlas Drugged" 2015 The Beautiful Lie Kingsley Faraday Main cast 2014–2017 Turn: Washington's Spies Caleb Brewster Main cast 2019 Lambs of God Barnaby Main CastBloom Griffo Main Cast2020Defending Jacob Leonard Patz Ensemble2021Clickbait Simon Burton Episode: "The Brother"FiresKipEnsembleMr InbetweenKennyCameo 2022Mystery Road: OriginPatrickMain Cast2023RFDSGlenEpisode 2.62025The NewsreaderBill McFarlaneMain CastThe Family Next DoorNigelTV series2026Dear LifeJackTV seriesLast SeenDonald Reid Apple TV+ series
Theatre YearTitleRoleNotes2013The Secret RiverDan OldfieldSydney Theatre Company2026Uncle VanyaVanyaMelbourne Theatre Company
Awards YearWorkAwardCategoryResult2011Snowtown Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actor Australian Film Critics Association Awards Best Actor Marrakech International Film Festival Best Actor 2012 AACTA Awards AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role 2019Acute Misfortune Australian Film Critics Association Awards Best Actor Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actor 2022 Mystery Road: Origin AACTA Awards Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama 2023 Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 2025 How to Make Gravy AACTA Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Telemovie 2026 The Newsreader AACTA Awards Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama The Family Next Door AACTA Awards Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama Equity Ensemble Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Logie Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Drama
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