Martin Compston

Last updated

Martin Compston
Martin Compston 2019 (cropped).jpg
Compston in 2019
Born (1984-05-08) 8 May 1984 (age 40)
Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland
Occupation(s)Actor, former professional footballer
Years active2002–present
Known for Line of Duty
Spouse
Tianna Chanel Flynn
​
(m. 2016)​
Children1
Association football career
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Aberdeen
Greenock Morton
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2001–2002 Greenock Morton 2 (0)
Greenock Juniors
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Martin Compston (born 8 May 1984) is a Scottish actor and former professional footballer. He played Anti-Corruption Unit Detective Inspector Steve Arnott in the BBC drama Line of Duty , Liam in Ken Loach's Sweet Sixteen , Paul Ferris in The Wee Man , Ewan Brodie in Monarch of the Glen [1] and Dan Docherty in The Nest .

Contents

Early life and football career

Born to a Catholic family, Compston, the younger of two sons, [2] was brought up in Greenock, Scotland, and attended St Columba's High School in neighbouring Gourock. [3]

A promising footballer, he was a youth player with Aberdeen as a teenager, [4] and after leaving school signed for his local professional club Greenock Morton. [5] Compston made two first-team appearances in the 2001–02 season, in which the team was relegated to the Third Division. In both matches he appeared as a substitute and Morton lost 4–0, to Alloa Athletic and Queen of the South. [6] After leaving Morton, he briefly played in junior football for Greenock Juniors. [7]

Acting career

Having never acted before, Compston successfully auditioned for the lead role in Ken Loach's Sweet Sixteen , which was being filmed locally. [1] The film's success at the Cannes Film Festival gave him instant celebrity status in Scotland. Both he and his co-star William Ruane were nominated for Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards, with Compston winning the category. [8]

He had a regular role in the BBC TV serial Monarch of the Glen . He then appeared in three films: A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (Jury Prize and Best Ensemble Cast at the Sundance Festival) with Robert Downey, Jr.; Red Road (Jury Prize at Cannes), shot in Scotland with Kate Dickie and Tony Curran, for which he was nominated as Best Supporting Actor at the Scottish BAFTAs; and True North with Peter Mullan and Gary Lewis, for which he was nominated as Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards.

Compston starred in the 2010 film Soulboy , alongside Craig Parkinson, playing the role of Joe McCain. [1] He also made a cameo appearance in a low-budget web series, Night is Day.

Compston appeared in The View's music video for "Grace" and "How Long". [9]

In 2012, Compston starred in the lead role of Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott, a detective on an anti-corruption squad, in the BBC police drama Line of Duty , acting alongside Craig Parkinson once more. In the same year, he also starred in the violent thriller Piggy. [10] Going back to his Scottish roots, he then appeared in the lead role in The Wee Man , directed by Ray Burdis, a film depicting the life of the Glasgow gangster Paul Ferris. [11] It was released in the UK in January 2013.

In April 2013, Compston starred in the ITV miniseries The Ice Cream Girls . [12] He appeared as Roy James in The Great Train Robbery . [13]

In 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021, Compston reprised his lead role of Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott in five more series of police drama Line of Duty, which moved from BBC Two to BBC One at the start of its fourth series. [14] [15]

In 2016, he starred in the three-part Scottish television series In Plain Sight as serial murderer Peter Manuel. [16] In 2020, he starred alongside Sophie Rundle in the television series The Nest. [17]

In 2021, Compston was cast to star as Fulmer Hamilton in the Amazon Prime Video thriller The Rig , [18] which was released in January 2023. [19]

In March 2022, Compston starred in Our House. [20] [21] [22] The drama series is based on the novel Our House by Louise Candlish. [23]

Personal life

Compston married American actress Tianna Chanel Flynn in 2016. [24] They have a son. [25]

Compston is a supporter of Scottish independence and the Scottish National Party. [26]

Filmography

Film

YearFilmRoleNotes
2002 Sweet Sixteen Liam
2004 Niceland (Population. 1.000.002) Jed
2005 Tickets Jamesy
Wild Country Lee
2006 A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints Mike O'Shea
Red Road Stevie
True North Sean
2008 Doomsday Joshua
Freakdog Sean
The PrayerStevieShort
2009 The Damned United John O'Hare
The Disappearance of Alice Creed Danny
SpunkbubbleTogsShort
2010 Pimp Zeb
Soulboy Joe McCain
Donkeys Stevie Blantyre
Village on the RoofAllenShort
Paris/SexySeamusShort
2011 Ghosted Paul
7 Lives Rory
Four Lover
How to Stop Being a Loser Adams
Hit and RunDazShort
2012 When the Lights Went Out Mr. Price
Sister Mike
Strippers vs Werewolves Scott
Piggy Joe
2013 The Wee Man Paul Ferris
Filth Gorman
2015 The Legend of Barney Thomson Chris Porter
Scottish Mussel Ritchie
2017 The Hunter's Prayer Metzger
2018 Mary Queen of Scots Lord Bothwell
2019 The Aftermath Burnham

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2003 The Royal Jeffrey CarpenterEpisode: "Snakes and Ladders"
Rockface Jason Farinelli2 episodes
2003–2005 Monarch of the Glen Ewan BrodieSeries regular
2004 Casualty Matty HowellEpisode: "Lock Down"
2007Night Is DayHead GangsterEpisode: "Sacrifices"
2009Eadar-ChluichEpisode: "Bha Mi'n Raoir san Taigh-Osta"
2010 Five Daughters Jon1 episode
2012–2021 Line of Duty DS Steve ArnottSeries regular
2013 The Ice Cream Girls Marcus HansleyMini-series
Agatha Christie's Marple Alfred PollockEpisode: "Greenshaw's Folly"
The Great Train Robbery Roy JamesMini-series
2014 Silent Witness DS Jason RossEpisode: "In a Lonely Place"
Masterpiece Mystery Alfred PollockEpisode: "Agatha Christie's Miss Marple VII: Greenshaw's Folly"
Ripper Street Edwin HavelockEpisode: "Live Free, Live True"
2016 Death in Paradise Dexter AllenEpisode: "Dishing Up Murder"
In Plain Sight Peter Manuel Mini-series
2017 Victoria Dr. TraillEpisode: "Faith, Hope & Charity"
2018 Urban Myths Midge UreEpisode: "Backstage at Live Aid"
2019 Still Game Phone Shop AssistantEpisode: "Local Hero"
2019–2022 Traces Daniel MacAfeeSeries regular
2020 The Nest Dan DochertyMini-series
2021 Vigil CPO Craig BurkeSeries 1: Series regular
2022Our HouseBram Lawson
Martin Compston's Scottish FlingHimselfTravel mini-series [27]
Mayflies JimmyTwo-part drama [28]
2023–present The Rig Fulmer Hamilton
2024Martin Compston's Norwegian FlingHimselfTravel mini-series [29]
TBA Fear MartynIn production [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iain Glen</span> Scottish actor (born 1961)

Iain Alan Sutherland Glen is a Scottish actor. He has appeared as Dr. Alexander Isaacs/Tyrant in three films of the Resident Evil film series (2004–2016) and as Jorah Mormont in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones (2011–2019). Other notable film and television roles include John Hanning Speke in Mountains of the Moon (1990), Larry Winters in Silent Scream (1990) for which he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival, Manfred Powell in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Brother John in Song for a Raggy Boy (2003), the title role in Jack Taylor (2010–2016), Sir Richard Carlisle in Downton Abbey (2011), James Willett in Eye in the Sky (2015), and Bruce Wayne in Titans (2019–2021).

<i>Sweet Sixteen</i> (2002 film) 2002 film by Ken Loach

Sweet Sixteen is a 2002 coming-of-age crime drama film directed by Ken Loach. Set in Scotland, the film tells the story of Liam, a teenage boy from a troubled background who dreams of starting afresh with his mother as soon as she has completed her prison term. Liam's attempts to raise money for the two of them are set against the backdrop of the Inverclyde towns of Greenock, Port Glasgow and the coast at Gourock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Henshall</span> Scottish actor (born 1965)

Douglas “Dougie” James Henshall is a Scottish television, film and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as Professor Nick Cutter in the science fiction series Primeval (2007–2011) and Detective Inspector Jimmy Pérez in the crime drama Shetland (2013–2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Curran</span> Scottish actor

Tony Curran is a Scottish actor who has appeared in Underworld: Evolution, Doctor Who, Roots, and the Netflix historical epic Outlaw King. He appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Thor: The Dark World (2013) as Bor and the second season of Daredevil (2016) as Finn Cooley. In late 2022, Curran starred in the BBC drama Mayflies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Lewis (actor)</span> Scottish actor (born 1957)

Gary Stevenson, better known as Gary Lewis, is a Scottish actor. He has had roles in films such as Billy Elliot (2000), Gangs of New York (2002), Joyeux Noël (2005) and Eragon (2006), as well as major roles in the television docudrama Supervolcano and the Starz series Outlander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vicky McClure</span> English actress (born 1983)

Vicky Lee McClure is an English actress, model and presenter. She is known for her roles as Detective Inspector Kate Fleming in the BBC series Line of Duty (2012–2021) and Lol Jenkins in Shane Meadows's film This Is England (2006) and its Channel 4 sequel mini-series This Is England '86 (2010), This Is England '88 (2011), and This Is England '90 (2015). Before This is England, she appeared in another of Meadows' films, A Room for Romeo Brass (1999), where she played Ladine. She won the RTS Award and British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Lol in This is England '86 in 2011.

Paul Higgins is a Scottish actor, best known for appearing in the British television series The Thick of It, Utopia and Line of Duty.

Shaun Dillon is a Scottish football coach and former player, who played as a defender. He is currently coach of West of Scotland Football League club Beith Juniors. He began his career with Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League and also played in the Scottish Football League for Greenock Morton, Queen of the South, Stenhousemuir. Stranraer and Stirling Albion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Parkinson</span> British actor

Craig Parkinson is an English actor and podcaster. He has played Shaun in the E4 series Misfits, twins Jimmy and Johnny Kray in the ITV series Whitechapel, and DI Matthew "Dot" Cottan in Line of Duty. He has also acted in several independent films, including Control, Soulboy, The Unloved and Four Lions.

<i>Line of Duty</i> British police procedural drama television series (2012–2021)

Line of Duty is a British police procedural and serial drama created by Jed Mercurio and produced by World Productions for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It first began broadcasting on BBC Two on 26 June 2012. The programme performed well and was quickly commissioned for additional series that aired in 2014 and 2016. After becoming the highest-rated series on BBC Two in 10 years, Line of Duty was promoted to BBC One beginning with the fourth series in 2017 and fifth in 2019, securing commissions through a sixth series, which concluded on 2 May 2021, after the programme had aired a total of 36 episodes.

<i>In Plain Sight</i> (British TV series) 2016 Scottish TV series or programme

In Plain Sight is a Scottish television drama series covering the crimes committed by serial killer Peter Manuel in Lanarkshire, Scotland in the 1950s. The three-part series was first broadcast on ITV on 7 December 2016. The series is distributed worldwide by BBC Worldwide.

William Ruane is a Scottish actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Sweet Sixteen (2002) and The Angels' Share (2012), and in the soap opera River City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Lyle</span> Scottish actress

Lauren Lyle is a Scottish actress best known for her recurring role as Marsali MacKimmie Fraser in the Starz television drama Outlander, and peace protester Jade Antoniak in the BBC drama Vigil. Lyle also plays the leading role in the ITV crime thriller Karen Pirie.

<i>Line of Duty</i> series 1 BBC police procedural TV show, 2012 series

The first series of the British police procedural television programme Line of Duty was broadcast on BBC Two between 26 June and 24 July 2012.

<i>Line of Duty</i> series 5 BBC police procedural TV show, 2019 series

The fifth series of Line of Duty, consisting of six episodes, began broadcasting on 31 March 2019 on BBC One. The series follows the actions of Superintendent Ted Hastings, DI Kate Fleming and DS Steve Arnott as they investigate an Organised Crime Group with links to missing undercover officer DS John Corbett. Anna Maxwell Martin stars in episodes five and six as DCS Patricia Carmichael. Supporting characters include underboss Lisa McQueen and the special counsel to the police and crime commissioner Gill Biggeloe.

<i>Traces</i> (TV series) British crime drama series

Traces is a British television crime drama produced by Red Production Company. Co-created and written by Val McDermid and Amelia Bullmore, and based upon an original idea by McDermid, it originally premiered on Alibi on 9 December 2019. The series was rerun on BBC One on 4 January 2021 and Series One began repeating on Drama on 15 January 2022, A second six-episode series was released in February 2022. and was shown on BBC One from 30 March 2024.

<i>Vigil</i> (TV series) British police procedural television serial

Vigil is a British police procedural drama television series created by Tom Edge and produced by World Productions. The series premiered on BBC One on 29 August 2021. The first series stars Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie, Shaun Evans, Paterson Joseph, Gary Lewis and Martin Compston, and is set in Scotland, primarily onboard HMS Vigil, a ballistic missile submarine of the Royal Navy.

<i>The Rig</i> (TV series) Supernatural thriller television series

The Rig is a British supernatural thriller television series created by David Macpherson for Amazon Prime Video. The series is directed by John Strickland, and is the first Amazon Original to be filmed entirely in Scotland. The series was released on 6 January 2023 and consists of six episodes. In February 2023, The Rig was renewed for a second series.

Fear is an upcoming British television series from Derek Wax, starring Martin Compston. It is based on Dirk Kurbjuweit's book of the same name.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Clarke, Cath (26 August 2010). "How Martin Compston Shimmied from Football to Films". The Guardian . Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Martin Compston: 'Who would play me in the film of my life? Vicky McClure'". the Guardian. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "Martin Compston: Plucked to stardom from a school corridor". BBC News. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  4. ↑ "How Line of Duty star Martin Compston went from Dons starlet to DS Arnott". Evening Express . 1 May 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  5. ↑ Pierce, Nev (26 September 2002). "Martin Compston: Sweet Sixteen". BBC . Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "MARTIN COMPSTON". Neil Brown. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  7. ↑ Hossack, Brian (26 September 2017). "Greenock actor Martin Compston backs Ravenscraig club". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "Profile and awards: Sweet Sixteen (2002)". BIFA. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  9. ↑ English, Paul (23 March 2016). "Line of Duty Star Martin Compston: Glass Ceiling for Actors Who Aren't Posh Enough is Holding Back Talent". Daily Record . Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Millar, John (15 April 2012). "Martin Compston Opens Heart about Love Split and Death of Beloved Gran". Daily Record . Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  11. ↑ Black, Claire (13 January 2013). "Interview: Martin Compston Talks about His New Film The Wee Man". The Scotsman . Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  12. ↑ Rampton, James (15 April 2013). "Actor Martin Compston Makes Waves as Leading Man". The Scotsman . Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  13. ↑ Wednesday, Monkey (6 March 2013). "Martin Compston to Play Great Train Robber in BBC1 Drama". The Guardian . Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  14. ↑ Hadlow, Janice (25 July 2012). "Media Centre – Line of Duty to Return for Second Series". BBC . Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  15. ↑ Barker, Adam (4 September 2014). "Media Centre – Line of Duty to Return for Further Two Series". BBC.
  16. ↑ Bley Griffiths, Eleanor (21 December 2016). "How Historically accurate is In Plain Sight? The True Story of Serial Killer Peter Manuel Played by Martin Compston". Radio Times . Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  17. ↑ Ferguson, Brian (13 March 2020). "The Nest: Martin Compston, Sophie Rundle, Mirren Mack and Shirley Henderson on Scotland's new TV thriller". Edinburgh Evening News . Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  18. ↑ "'Schitt's Creek' Star Emily Hampshire Joins Amazon UK Series 'The Rig'; Scotland Shoot To Begin This Month". Deadline. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  19. ↑ Buchan, Sophie (6 January 2023). "The Rig fans are all saying the same thing after Martin Compston drama launches". GlasgowLive. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  20. ↑ "TV tonight: Martin Compston stars in psychological drama Our House". The Guardian. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  21. ↑ Adejobi, Alicia (7 March 2022). "Our House viewers fume as ITV goes goes off-air during opening episode: 'Trying to work out what I've missed'". Metro. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  22. ↑ "Martin Compston on Line of Duty, accents and his new show Our House". The Times. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  23. ↑ Sansome, Jessica (7 March 2022). "Our House on ITV: What it's about, cast and where you've seen them before". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  24. ↑ Mullen, Stacey (20 June 2016). "Line of I Do: Actor Martin Compston marries actress Tianna Chanel Flynn". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  25. ↑ "Martin Compston on 'horrors' of child labour after visit to Bangladesh". STV News. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  26. ↑ "Line of Duty's Martin Compston urges Scots to vote for Nicola Sturgeon". The Independent . 2 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  27. ↑ "Martin Compston's Scottish Fling". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  28. ↑ "Mayflies - Meet the cast and creatives behind the drama that 'discovers the joy and the costs of love'". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  29. ↑ "Martin Compston's Norwegian Fling coming to BBC TV and BBC iPlayer in 2024". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  30. ↑ "Film crews to descend on Glasgow for new TV thriller". Herald Scotland. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.