Occupation Actor Height 1.73 m Role Actor | Name Martin Compston Years active 2002–present Siblings Barry Compston | |
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Awards British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer Movies and TV shows Similar People J Blakeson, Eddie Marsan, Paul Ferris, Ken Loach, Ursula Meier Profiles | ||
Martin Compston on the Return of Line of Duty | This Morning
Martin Compston (born 8 May 1984) is a Scottish actor and former professional footballer. He is perhaps most well known for his lead role as Anti-Corruption Unit Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott in hit BBC crime drama Line of Duty. His other notable roles include Liam in Ken Loach's Sweet Sixteen, Paul Ferris in 2013 blockbuster The Wee Man, and Ewan Brodie in Monarch of the Glen.
Contents
- Martin Compston on the Return of Line of Duty This Morning
- Actor martin compston campaigning for yes in glasgow
- Early life and football career
- Personal life
- Acting career
- Filmography
- References
Actor martin compston campaigning for yes in glasgow
Early life and football career
Compston was born and brought up in Greenock, Inverclyde, and attended St Columba's High School in neighbouring Gourock. A youth footballer, after leaving school he signed for local professional team Greenock Morton. Compston made two first team appearances in the 2001–02 Scottish First Division season, in which the team were relegated from the Scottish Football League First Division. In both matches he appeared as a substitute. Both times Morton lost 4–0, to Alloa Athletic and Queen of the South.
Personal life
On 19 June 2016, Compston married Tianna Chanel Flynn. Compston is also a passionate supporter of Glasgow based side Celtic.
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. His subsequent film career was comparatively low key as he wanted to "serve his apprenticeship" with a regular role in the BBC TV drama 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 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 appeared in the horror film The 4th Reich as Pte. Newman, and made a cameo appearance in small budget web series "Night Is Day".
Compston appeared in The View's music video for "Grace" and "How Long," as he is friends with the band.
In 2012, Compston starred in the lead role of Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott, an Anti-Corruption Detective, in the award-winning BBC police drama Line of Duty, acting alongside Craig Parkinson once more.
In 2012 Compston also starred in the violent thriller Piggy. 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 renowned Glasgow Gangster Paul Ferris. It was released in the UK in January 2013.
In April 2013 Compston starred in the ITV mini-series The Ice Cream Girls.
Compston appeared as Roy James in The Great Train Robbery.
In 2014, Compston reprised his lead role of Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott in the second series of BBC Two police drama Line of Duty.
In March 2016, Compston reprised his lead role once again in the third series of hit BBC Two police-crime drama Line of Duty as lead Anti-Corruption investigator Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott of AC Unit 12.
Compston starred again as DS Steve Arnott in the fourth series of Line of Duty, first broadcast in March and April 2017, this time on the BBC's flagship channel BBC One.
In 2016, he starred in the Scottish 3-part television drama series In Plain Sight as serial murderer Peter Manuel who was pursued to his conviction and ultimate execution by detective William Muncie.