Helping kids have special Big Night In

Anna Hutchison tries on the jacket Martin Henderson has donated to the Telethon auction. Photo / Richard Robinson

Tonight's Big Night In will be a step down memory lane for New Zealand actors Martin Henderson and Anna Hutchison.

Both remember their respective families gathering around the television to watch Telethons when they were kids.

"We would all be there in our jarmies and slippers," said Henderson.

"It was the one night of the year that we were allowed to try to stay up as late as we could."

Hutchison said her family, including her nana, would be watching from their home on the North Shore tonight, and would probably have a roast.

The Underbelly star and Henderson, who both live and work overseas, have flown home to help out with the 23-hour show.

Henderson, who became a household name on Shortland St before going on to bigger things overseas, said he was worried his high school friends would ring up and request him to do something "deeply embarrassing".

This is not the first time he has appeared on Telethon. In 1988, when he was 13, he was tasked with reading out the list of donors.

Yesterday, the pair unloaded the memorabilia donated by personalities from all around New Zealand for the Telethon's auction to raise funds for Kids Can.

Henderson has donated a jacket that was given to him after the filming of Windtalkers, a Nicholas Cage action movie.