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Martin Compston
Martin Compston 2019 (cropped).jpg
Compston in 2019
Born (1984-05-08) 8 May 1984 (age 40)
Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland
Occupation Actor, former professional footballer
Years active 2002–present
Known for Line of Duty
Spouse(s)
Tianna Chanel Flynn
(m. 2016)
Children 1
Personal information
Playing position Defender
Youth career
Aberdeen
Greenock Morton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2002 Greenock Morton 2 (0)
Greenock Juniors
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (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 and Dan Docherty in The Nest.

Early life and football career

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

A promising footballer, he was a youth player with Aberdeen as a teenager, and after leaving school signed for his local professional club Greenock Morton. 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. After leaving Morton, he briefly played in junior football for Greenock Juniors.

Politics

Compston is a supporter of the Scottish National Party.

Acting career

Having never acted before, Compston successfully auditioned for the lead role in Ken Loach's Sweet Sixteen, which was being filmed locally. 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.

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. 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".

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. 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. It was released in the UK in January 2013.

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

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.

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

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

In March 2022, Compston starred in Our House. The drama series is based on the novel Our House by Louise Candlish.

Personal life

Compston married American actress Tianna Chanel Flynn in 2016. As of 2020, they reside in Las Vegas.

In June 2022, Compston was forced to deny allegations of singing sectarian lyrics, after videos surfaced on social media of him on stage during a Celtic supporter function in Las Vegas.

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

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes
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 Prayer Stevie Short
2009 The Damned United John O'Hare
The Disappearance of Alice Creed Danny
Spunkbubble Togs Short
2010 Soulboy Joe McCain
Donkeys Stevie Blantyre
Village on the Roof Allen Short
2011 Ghosted Paul
7 Lives Rory
Four Lover
How to Stop Being a Loser Adams
Hit and Run Daz Short
2012 When the Lights Went Out Mr. Price
Sister Mike
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

Year Title Role Notes
2003 The Royal Jeffrey Carpenter Episode: "Snakes and Ladders"
Rockface Jason Farinelli 2 episodes
2003–2005 Monarch of the Glen Ewan Brodie Series regular
2004 Casualty Matty Howell Episode: "Lock Down"
2007 Night Is Day Head Gangster Episode: "Sacrifices"
2009 Eadar-Chluich Episode: "Bha Mi'n Raoir san Taigh-Osta"
2010 Five Daughters Jon 1 episode
2012–2021 Line of Duty DS Steve Arnott Series regular
2013 The Ice Cream Girls Marcus Hansley Mini-series
Agatha Christie's Marple Alfred Pollock Episode: "Greenshaw's Folly"
The Great Train Robbery Roy James Mini-series
2014 Silent Witness DS Jason Ross Episode: "In a Lonely Place"
Masterpiece Mystery Alfred Pollock Episode: "Agatha Christie's Miss Marple VII: Greenshaw's Folly"
Ripper Street Edwin Havelock Episode: "Live Free, Live True"
2016 Death in Paradise Dexter Allen Episode: "Dishing Up Murder"
In Plain Sight Peter Manuel Mini-series
2017 Victoria Dr. Traill Episode: "Faith, Hope & Charity"
2018 Urban Myths Midge Ure Episode: "Backstage at Live Aid"
2019 Still Game Phone Shop Assistant Episode: "Local Hero"
2019–Present Traces Daniel MacAfee Series regular
2020 The Nest Dan Docherty Mini-series
2021 Vigil CPO Craig Burke Series regular
2022 Our House Bram Lawson
Martin Compston's Scottish Fling Himself Travel mini-series
Mayflies Jimmy Two-part drama
2023 The Rig Fulmer Hamilton

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Martin Compston para niños

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