Henry Spencer (Psych character)

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.

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. 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 [Henry wants] him to be, but he's not being it [Henry's] way," making Shawn's work a source of both pride and frustration.