If you’ve been swept off your feet by Martin Henderson’s rugged charm as Jack Sheridan in Netflix’s Virgin River, you’re far from alone. His brooding smile, protective instincts,

and signature flannel shirts have earned him a devoted fanbase. But if you thought Virgin River was your first introduction to Henderson, you might want

to double-check your DVD shelf—or your nightmares. Before he was running a bar in Virgin River, he was running for his life in one of the most iconic horror films of the early 2000s.

That’s right—Martin Henderson was that guy in The Ring.

🎬 From Horror Classic to Small-Town Romance

In 2002, Henderson took a chilling detour from his typical leading-man roles to star in The Ring, the psychological horror film that changed the genre forever. Directed by Gore Verbinski and adapted from the Japanese film Ringu, The Ring introduced American audiences to the terrifying legend of a cursed videotape that kills its viewers exactly seven days after they watch it.

Henderson played Noah Clay, a skeptical journalist and the former flame of Naomi Watts’ character, Rachel Keller. At first, Noah is dismissive of Rachel’s investigation into a string of mysterious deaths. But curiosity gets the better of him—and one fateful viewing of the tape launches him into a nightmare of eerie images, supernatural forces, and a race against time.

His portrayal of Noah brought both depth and intensity to the film. He wasn’t just a sidekick—he was a vital emotional anchor, adding layers to the film’s tension and ultimately playing a pivotal role in the story’s heartbreaking climax. In many ways, his performance in The Ring foreshadowed the emotional nuance he would later bring to Jack Sheridan in Virgin River.

💡 Wait… That Was Jack in The Ring?

Yes! The very same Martin Henderson who now tends bar, protects the townspeople, and falls deeper in love with Mel Monroe each season once fought to break a deadly supernatural curse. It’s one of those casting surprises that fans only realize years later—but once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

And believe it or not, that wasn’t his only brush with pop culture royalty in the early 2000s.

🎶 A “Toxic” Connection You Didn’t See Coming

If The Ring didn’t ring a bell (pun intended), maybe this will: Martin Henderson is the smoldering love interest in Britney Spears’ 2004 music video for her smash hit “Toxic.”

Clad in a sleek black suit aboard a high-tech airplane, Henderson’s chemistry with Spears was so electric, it practically short-circuited the screens of every teen in the world. Their passionate on-screen kiss in the cockpit is still etched into the minds of early-2000s pop culture devotees.

From haunted videotapes to high-altitude rendezvous with Britney, Henderson’s career before Virgin River was anything but predictable.