| Birth date | 8 May 1984 (age 42)[1] |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland |
| Occupation | Actor, former professional footballer |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Known for | Line of Duty |
| Spouse | Tianna Chanel Flynn (m. 2016) |
| Position | Defender |
|---|---|
| Youthclubs 1 | Aberdeen |
| Youthyears 2 | –2001 |
| Youthclubs 2 | Greenock Morton |
| Years 1 | 2001–2002 |
| Clubs 1 | Greenock Morton |
| Caps 1 | 2 |
| Goals 1 | 0 |
| Clubs 2 | Greenock Juniors |
Martin Compston (born 8 May 1984) is a Scottish actor and former professional footballer who played as a defender. He plays 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, family and education
Compston was born to a Catholic family, the younger of two brothers,[2] The boys were raised in Greenock, Scotland. Martin attended St Columba's High School in neighbouring Gourock.[3]
Football career
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.[8] 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.[9]
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.[citation needed]
Compston starred in the 2010 film Soulboy, alongside Craig Parkinson, playing the role of Joe McCain.[8] He also made a cameo appearance in a low-budget web series, Night is Day.[citation needed] Compston appeared in The View's music video for "Grace" and "How Long".[10] In 2012 Compston played the lead role of Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott, a detective in 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.[11] 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.[12] It was released in the UK in January 2013.
In April 2013 Compston starred in the ITV miniseries The Ice Cream Girls.[13] He appeared as Roy James in The Great Train Robbery.[14]
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.[15][16] In 2016 he starred in the three-part Scottish television series In Plain Sight as serial murderer Peter Manuel.[17] In 2020, he starred alongside Sophie Rundle in the television series The Nest.[18] In 2021 Compston was cast to star as Fulmer Hamilton in the Amazon Prime Video thriller The Rig,[19] which was released in January 2023.[20] In March 2022, Compston starred in Our House.[21][22][23] The drama series is based on the novel Our House by Louise Candlish.[24]
Personal life
In 2016 Compston married Tianna Chanel Flynn, an American actress.[25][26] They have a son[27] and live in both Scotland and Las Vegas.[3]
Political views
Compston is a supporter of Scottish independence and the Scottish National Party.[28]
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 | Pimp | Zeb | |
| Soulboy | Joe McCain | ||
| Donkeys | Stevie Blantyre | ||
| Village on the Roof | Allen | Short | |
| Paris/Sexy | Seamus | 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 | ||
| 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
| 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 |
| 2012–2026 | Line of Duty | DS/DI 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" |
| 2019–2022 | Traces | Daniel MacAfee | Series regular |
| 2020 | The Nest | Dan Docherty | Mini-series |
| 2021 | Vigil | CPO Craig Burke | Series 1: Series regular |
| 2022 | Our House | Bram Lawson | |
| Martin Compston's Scottish Fling | Himself | Travel mini-series[29] | |
| Mayflies | Jimmy | Two-part drama[30] | |
| 2023–present | The Rig | Fulmer Hamilton | |
| 2024 | Martin Compston's Norwegian Fling | Himself | Travel mini-series[31] |
| 2025 | Fear | Martyn | Mini-series. Lead Role[32] |
| 2025 | The Revenge Club | Calum Baird | 6 episodes [33] |
| 2026 | Red Eye | Clay Brody | Series two[34] |
References
- ^ "Profile: Martin Compston". list.co.uk. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ Greenstreet, Rosanna (5 March 2022). "Martin Compston: 'Who would play me in the film of my life? Vicky McClure'". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
- ^ "Martin Compston: Plucked to stardom from a school corridor". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "How Line of Duty star Martin Compston went from Dons starlet to DS Arnott". Evening Express. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ Pierce, Nev (26 September 2002). "Martin Compston: Sweet Sixteen". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ "Martin Compston". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Neil Brown. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ Hossack, Brian (26 September 2017). "Greenock actor Martin Compston backs Ravenscraig club". Greenock Telegraph. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ Clarke, Cath (26 August 2010). "How Martin Compston Shimmied from Football to Films". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ "Profile and awards: Sweet Sixteen (2002)". bifa.film. British Independent Film Awards. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Millar, John (15 April 2012). "Martin Compston Opens Heart about Love Split and Death of Beloved Gran". Daily Record. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ Black, Claire (13 January 2013). "Interview: Martin Compston Talks about His New Film The Wee Man". The Scotsman. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Media Monkey (6 March 2013). "Martin Compston to Play Great Train Robber in BBC1 Drama" (blog). The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ Hadlow, Janice (25 July 2012). "Line of Duty to Return for Second Series". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- ^ Barker, Adam (4 September 2014). "Line of Duty to Return for Further Two Series". bbc.co.uk. BBC.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "'Schitt's Creek' Star Emily Hampshire Joins Amazon UK Series 'The Rig'; Scotland Shoot To Begin This Month". Deadline Hollywood. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ Buchan, Sophie (6 January 2023). "The Rig fans are all saying the same thing after Martin Compston drama launches". GlasgowLive. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ "TV tonight: Martin Compston stars in psychological drama Our House". The Guardian. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ 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.co.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Martin Compston on Line of Duty, accents and his new show Our House". The Times. 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Mullen, Stacey (20 June 2016). "Line of I Do: Actor Martin Compston marries actress Tianna Chanel Flynn". Glasgow Times. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
- ^ Tianna Chanel Flynn at IMDb
- ^ "Martin Compston on 'horrors' of child labour after visit to Bangladesh". STV News. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Stubley, Peter (2 May 2021). "Line of Duty's Martin Compston urges Scots to vote for Nicola Sturgeon". The Independent. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
- ^ "Martin Compston's Scottish Fling". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Mayflies - Meet the cast and creatives behind the drama that 'discovers the joy and the costs of love'". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 19 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
- ^ "Martin Compston's Norwegian Fling coming to BBC TV and BBC iPlayer in 2024". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "Film crews to descend on Glasgow for new TV thriller". Herald Scotland. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas & Goldbart, Max (June 18, 2025). "Paramount+, Gaumont & Fremantle Team Up On Thriller Series 'The Revenge Club' Starring Martin Compston, Aimée-Ffion Edwards, Meera Syal & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ "Red Eye Series 2". ITV.com. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 14 March 2024.