Virgin River fans know him as the rugged, reliable Jack Sheridan—the man with a cabin, a truck, and an endless supply of charm. But long before Netflix made Martin Henderson the heartthrob of small-town romance, he had another brush with fame… and it involved none other than pop royalty Britney Spears.
Yes, it’s true. Henderson once shared the screen with the Princess of Pop in one of the most iconic music videos of the early 2000s: Britney’s 2004 smash hit, “Toxic.” And now, fans are rediscovering the connection—and losing their collective minds.
✈️ The Music Video That Defined an Era
When “Toxic” premiered in January 2004, it was instantly hailed as one of Britney’s most daring and stylish videos. Featuring her as a seductive secret agent in a flight attendant uniform, dripping in rhinestone bodysuits, and taking down enemies with sultry precision, the video became pop culture gold.
But in one unforgettable scene, Britney isn’t just saving the day—she’s seducing a handsome stranger. That man, flung onto a bed and passionately kissed, was none other than Martin Henderson.
“It was my dirty little secret,” Henderson later admitted with a laugh. “It was a weird day—I think it was on a Saturday or Sunday.”
🎥 How It Happened
At the time, Henderson had just finished filming the Warner Bros. action flick Torque (2004). The movie’s director, Joseph Kahn, happened to be the creative force behind many of Britney’s music videos, including Toxic.
“I got a call a few days before, like, ‘Hey, can you do this thing on the weekend?’” Henderson recalled in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “No one actually mentioned that I’d have to make out with Britney.”
Still, Henderson said the pop star immediately impressed him.
“The thing that struck me the most about meeting her was how down-to-earth she was,” he revealed. “She was the sweetest and most genuine girl.”
🤯 Fans Are Just Finding Out—20 Years Later
Two decades later, a TikTok user unearthed the clip, reminding fans of Henderson’s unexpected cameo. The video quickly went viral, with viewers stunned that they’d missed the connection all this time.
“Jack Sheridan?! Like Mr. Fix up your cabin?!” one fan commented.
Another wrote: “I’ve seen that music video a thousand times—how the hell did I not remember he was in it?!”
Others couldn’t hide their shock:
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“Jack WTF you doing!”
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“He’s the man of my dreams in Virgin River… and apparently in a Britney video too.”
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“This crossover was not on my 2025 bingo card.”
🌟 From Pop Culture Cameo to Netflix Leading Man
For Henderson, the Toxic cameo was just one quirky moment in a long and winding career. The New Zealand-born actor has starred in everything from medical dramas (Grey’s Anatomy) to horror classics (The Ring) before finding a permanent home in Netflix’s Virgin River.
And while fans may now always picture him as Britney’s mystery man, Henderson seems to enjoy that his career contains a few surprises.
“Sometimes you just never know where this job is going to take you,” he joked.
❤️ Jack Sheridan Meets Pop Princess
The rediscovered cameo adds a whole new layer of fun for Virgin River fans. After all, it’s not every day that your favorite fictional bar owner turns out to have once been Britney Spears’ on-screen lover.
In the world of television, Martin Henderson will always be Jack Sheridan—the steady hand and beating heart of Virgin River. But in the world of pop culture history? He’ll forever be remembered as the man Britney tossed onto a bed in “Toxic.”
And really… could there be a better claim to fame?
