Everything you need to know about Scottish actor Martin Compston
Find out more about him
He's the Scottish actor we all love, and after appearing as DI Arnott in BBC drama Line of Duty alongside best friends Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar, Martin Compston's popularity has increased even more in recent years.
As Martin and Vicky both celebrated their birthday on 8th May, with Martin celebrating his 40th, here's everything you need to know about the Scotsman!
Who is Martin Compston?
Martin Compston is a Scottish actor famous for his roles in a number of huge TV shows, most notably BBC drama Line of Duty, where he played the role of Detective Inspector Steve Arnott.
Before making it big in the world of acting, Martin was a professional footballer, playing for Aberdeen at youth level, before making a number of appearances for Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton.
What TV shows has Martin Compston been in?
As well as making short appearances in shows such as Casualty, The Royal, Still Game, Ripper Street and Death In Paradise, Martin has enjoyed major roles in a number of popular TV shows.
From Line of Duty to Our House, check out Martin's impressive career below:
Line of Duty
Martin starred as Detective Inspector Steve Arnott for six series of Line of Duty between 2012-2021, with fans urging bosses to create even more!
Martin won a TV Choice Award for Best Actor in 2021, for his role in the popular series alongside actors Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar.
Traces
Originally airing on Alibi, Martin appeared in hit drama Traces, which focused on three female forensic professionals as they worked together at the Scottish Institute of Forensic Science and Anatomy (SIFA) to uncover the truth of a murder case and bring a killer to justice.
Martin played the role Daniel MacAfee in the series, a director of a company and the love interest of main character Emma Hedges. Martin returned for series two, with both series now available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
The Nest
Airing in 2020, Martin joined actress Sophie Rundle in five-part BBC drama The Nest, which followed married couple Emily and Dan Docherty (Sophie and Martin) as they enlisted the help of an 18-year-old to be their surrogate.
The series was filmed in Martin's home country of Scotland, with scenes in Glasgow, East Kilbride, Paisley and Helensburgh.
Vigil
With a cast including Martin and Suranne Jones, the pilot episode of Vigil had a massive 13.4 million viewers, making it the UK's most-watched new drama in over three years.
Martin played the role of Chief Petty Officer Craig Burke in the series, and after he was found dead in his bunk on board HMS Vigil, the first series focussed on who could have murdered him.
Our House
In March 2022, Martin appeared in a four-part ITV drama called Our House, alongside actress Tuppence Middleton.
Martin played the role of husband Bram on the show, where he disappeared after selling his family home, after being blackmailed following a tragic car crash.
The show was a huge hit with viewers, with many praising both Martin and Tuppence for their roles.
Mayflies
Martin Compston appeared in BBC Scotland drama Mayflies alongside Outlaw King actor Tony Curran. The series is based on Andrew O'Hagan's novel by the same name and is set and filmed in Scotland.
You can watch Mayflies on the BBC iPlayer.
The Rig
After teasing for months, Martin's latest gig The Rig finally dropped on Amazon Prime Video on Friday 6th January. Martin plays the role of oil rig worker Fulmer Hamilton in the six-part series which was filmed in Scotland.
In his early career, Martin also starred in a number of films such as Sweet Sixteen, The Wee Man, Mary Queen of Scots, The Great Train Robbery, Scottish Mussel and Filth.
Where is Martin Compston from?
Martin is from Greenock in Scotland and he's certainly a proud Scotsman!
Although Martin now lives in Las Vegas with his American wife, he said: "I do love it here but Greenock is, and always will be, home. It's where all my family and friends are. We're very lucky to have two homes - it's fantastic to have this Las Vegas home as a sort of getaway for me.
"I am so grateful for how kind people are to me at home, especially in Inverclyde. You always feel like people are rooting for you in Scotland but it's nice to get here and just have the anonymity."
What school did Martin Compston go to?
As a teenager, Martin attended St Columba's High School in Inverclyde, Scotland.
How old is Martin Compston?
Martin was born on 8th May in 1984, making him 40-years-old.
Is Martin Compston married?
He is! Martin married American actress Tianna Chanel Flynn in 2016, at the Compston family chapel in Greenock, Renfrew.
The pair first met when Tianna was working as nightclub manager at the Hudson Hotel in Los Angeles, with Martin reportedly winning Tianna over with his Scottish charm.
Tianna, who is also an estate agent out in Las Vegas, actually made an appearance on Line of Duty back in series five. Tianna's picture appeared on screen whilst Martin was using a dating app. And whilst the lady on the picture was called Tina Watt, it was actually Tianna with the couple's dog King!
Does Martin Compston have any children?
Despite choosing to keep his family private, Martin is a proud father to his son, after his wife Tianna gave birth to a baby boy in 2020.
Where does Martin Compston live?
When he's not over in the UK filming, Martin lives in his £300,000 home in Las Vegas, America, with his wife and son.
Speaking to the Sunday Post, Martin said: "The Strip is the tourist trap, but Vegas is suburbia. A couple of million people live there and it’s so quiet. I love it. The weather is great, obviously, and compared to Los Angeles and London you get so much more for your money.
"I’ve never been flash with anything. I’ve never really spent my money or liked fancy cars, so we saved to hopefully get a bit of a dream home. I wanted to get a place with a pool.
"It’s an incredible feeling when you’re from Greenock and you can get your family over to stay and you’ve got a swimming pool out your back. The most therapeutic thing in the world is cleaning your pool, walking about mopping up your leaves."
Is Martin Compston on social media?
He is, Martin is very active on social media, in particular Instagram.
You can follow Martin Compston on Instagram: mrmartincompston
You can follow Martin Compston on Twitter: @martin_compston
How tall is Martin Compston?
It's understood Martin is 1.73 m tall, which is 5ft 6 inches.
Did Martin Compston play in Soccer Aid?
He sure did! Believe it or not Martin is actually a former professional footballer, so playing on a football pitch comes natural to him!
Despite taking part in the 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022 charity games, Martin was unable to play in 2023 due to injury, so he joined the Rest of the World coaching staff.
He was back fit for the 2024 game, playing right back alongside the likes of Eden Hazard, Petr Cech, Alessandro Del Piero and Michael Essien. Unfortunaly for Martin, the Rest of the World lost the game 6-3.
As he's Scottish, Martin played for the Rest of the World team against England.
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