Early Life
Don Henderson was born on November 10, 1931, in Leytonstone, London. He served in the Royal Air Force before training as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Major Role
Detective Sergeant George Bulman, The XYY Man (1976), Strangers (1978–1982), Bulman (1985–1987)
George Bulman is one of the more unusual characters in British crime drama — a detective whose intelligence is genuine and whose mannerisms are specific: the woolly hat, the cigarettes, the erudition that sits oddly with the police station surroundings. Henderson played him as a man who observes more than he participates, whose deductions arrive from a mind that processes information differently. The character was popular enough to migrate across three separate series — a trajectory that few television detectives have matched. Henderson’s Bulman was eccentric without being comic, intellectual without being academic. The performance was distinctive and the character is remembered with genuine affection.
Other Notable Work
Extensive television work including The Sandbaggers and Poldark. He died on June 22, 1997, aged 64.
Appeared In
- Henderson is best remembered for his role as Detective George Bulman in the Granada Television police drama series ‘The XYY Man’ (1976-1977), ‘Strangers’ (1978–1982), and ‘Bulman’ (1985-1987).
- He starred in the popular TV drama series ‘Warship’ (1973-1975).
- He appeared in the BBC drama ‘Poldark’ (1975).
- He appeared in the ‘Doctor Who’ serial ‘Delta and the Bannermen’ (1987).
- He appeared in the film ‘Brazil’ (1985).
Frequently Asked Questions
Don Henderson was a British character actor known for his distinctive screen presence in British television, particularly in crime dramas and police procedurals from the 1960s through the 1990s.
Don Henderson appeared in numerous British television series including ‘Z-Cars’, ‘The Bill’, ‘Minder’, and ‘The Sweeney’. He was a familiar face in British crime drama throughout his career.
Don Henderson was known for his role in the long-running police series ‘Z-Cars’ and for numerous guest appearances across British crime dramas. His authoritative screen presence made him a staple of 1970s and 1980s British television.
In Closing
Don Henderson created one of British television’s most distinctive detectives — a character who moved across three series and seventeen years — and his George Bulman is evidence that intelligence, rendered specifically, is as compelling as action.
For the broader cluster, see British Detective Dramas.