Henry Spencer (Psych character)

Infobox character
name = Henry Spencer
series = "Psych"


caption = Corbin Bernsen as Henry Spencer
first = Pilot
last =
cause =
creator = Steve Franks
Andy Berman
portrayer = Corbin Bernsen
alias = Old Scratch Johnson
gender = Male
age = 50s
occupation = Police Officer (retired)
title =
family = Madeleine Spencer (divorced)
Jack Spencer (brother) ["Psych", Episode 3.04: "The Greatest Adventure in the History of Basic Cable." Original airdate: August 8, 2008.]
children = Shawn Spencer (son)
relatives =

Henry L. Spencer is a fictional character on the American television dramedy "Psych" played by American actor Corbin Bernsen.

Fictional biography

A retired police officer, Henry Spencer raised his only son, Shawn, to follow in his footsteps, schooling him in detective work from a young age. The character is based loosely on series creator Steve Franks' father, a police officer who wanted his son to choose a similar career path. He would sometimes try to hone Franks' observational skills by asking how many people were wearing hats in a restaurant, a tactic which Henry employs with Shawn in the series pilot. [cite web |last=Goldman |first=Eric |date=June 30, 2006 |url=http://au.tv.ign.com/articles/716/716250p1.html |title=Reading Minds with the Stars of "PSYCH" |publisher="IGN" |accessdate=2007-12-23]

In the penultimate episode of the second season (), Chief Vick set Henry up with her friend Susan "Sue B." from the Mayor's office (played by Corbin Bernsen's wife, Amanda Pays).

He is estranged from his younger brother, Jack, played by Steve Webber

Characterization

Actor Corbin Bernsen describes Henry as "a guy who's very, very disciplined. He always has been disciplined. He believes order is what gets you through the day... The dynamic of the guy is that, though, his own order torments him and when he breaks his rules it drives him nuts, and he probably takes it out on Shawn." Henry is disappointed by Shawn's unwillingness to conform to his ideals, and when the series begins the two appear to have been estranged for some time, to the point that Shawn is unaware that Henry has moved back to Santa Barbara. As the show progresses, the two begin to mend their relationship. Bernsen says that, with Henry's career now behind him and his wife out of his life (he was divorced in 1992), Shawn is essentially the only family he has left, making him more willing to accept his son despite a lingering disappointment. [cite interview |last=Bernsen |first=Corbin |subjectlink=Corbin Bernsen |interviewer=TV Guide |title=Corbin Bernsen explains Henry's complex relationship with Shawn |type= |url=http://video.usanetwork.com/v/?linkId=25749&sender=tvguide.com |format=video |program="USA Network" |date= |accessdate=2007-12-31] Although Henry expresses disdain at Shawn's new career as a psychic detective, expressing his deep dislike of both private investigators and psychics, he appears to be secretly proud of his son's investigational skills and saves newspaper articles concerning Shawn's exploits. Bernsen notes that Shawn is "being everything I [Henry] want him to be, but he's not being it my [Henry's] way," making Shawn's work a source of both pride and frustration. [cite web |last=Lasseter |first=John |date=January 3, 2007 |url=http://www.movieweb.com/tv/news/47/16747.php |title=INTERVIEW: James Roday and Corbin Bernsen Go For Laughs With "Psych" |publisher="MovieWeb" |accessdate=2007-12-31]

References