Joshua Baret Henderson was born on Oct. 25, 1981 in Dallas, TX, sporting one blue eye and one green eye – a condition known as heterochromia. His mother raised him and his two younger sisters, Hannah and Chelsea, in Texas and Tulsa, OK. In May 2000, Henderson graduated from Tulsa Memorial Senior High School, where he enjoyed playing sports, particularly baseball.
The high school baseball star dreamt of having a major league career, but put it on hold when, on vacation in San Francisco, CA, he went saw an audition for “Pop Stars 2.” Going up against 3,000 hopefuls, he made it on the show and was the only group member to appear in all 13 episodes. One of five singers selected for a pop group called Scene 23, the gig came to a quick close when, just weeks after their album was released, Scene 23’s recording label, London Sire, folded.
Around the same time, the actor was dating singer and actress Ashlee Simpson, sister of pop queen and reality TV star, Jessica Simpson. The couple dated for over two years before breaking up. It was rumored that songs off Simpson’s first album Autobiography (2004) were written about the actor.
Henderson stayed busy with acting, singing and modeling after “Pop Stars 2.” He appeared on an episode of his ex-girlfriend Simpson’s show, “The Ashlee Simpson Show” (MTV, 2004-05), as well as on shows like “Maybe It’s Me” (The WB, 2001-02) and “Do Over” (The WB, 2002). He landed a recurring role on the show “One on One” (UPN, 2001-06), where he showed off his comedic talents.
In 2004, Henderson finally acted on the big screen, appearing in the teenage comedy “The Girl Next Door.” He played a jock in the film – a role tailor made for his athletic build. He stayed busy that same year with one-episode roles in TV shows such as “North Shore” (FOX, 2004) and “8 Simple Rules” (ABC, 2002-05). On the set of the latter show, Henderson met actress Kaley Cuoco, who played on of the late John Ritter’s daughters, and they briefly dated.
Henderson’s most powerful and dramatic role to date came in 2005 when he starred in the FX miniseries, “Over There,” executive produced by Steven Bochco. Playing Pfc. Bo Rider, a soldier who loses his leg while fighting in Iraq, the miniseries showcased Henderson’s serious dramatic skills. It proved even more challenging when Henderson portrayed his character’s return from the war and the harsh physical and mental anguish that thousands of soldiers go through. Henderson’s real-life cousin Clint Mabry played his body double on the show, having lost his leg in a car accident in 2001. A small part in the family film remake “Yours, Mine and Ours” closed out Henderson’s 2005.
The actor remained busy in 2006 with very diverse roles, from the urban fairy tale “Step Up,” to the family drama “Broken Bridges” co-starring country singer Toby Keith. Henderson’s stardom skyrocketed when he joined the cast of the hit ABC show “Desperate Housewives.” Making a big splash as Austin, Nicollette Sheridan’s nephew on the show, he was instantly crowned the newest hunk of Wisteria Lane by the TV press machines.