Martin Compston
Encyclopedia
Martin Compston is a Scottish
actor and former professional footballer. He is perhaps most notable for his role as Liam in Sweet Sixteen
, and for his role as Ewan Brodie
in Monarch of the Glen.
, 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 appearances for Morton at the end of the 2001–2002 season, in which the 'Ton were relegated from the Scottish Football League First Division
. In both matches he appeared as a substitute, and both times Morton lost 4–0, to Alloa Athletic
and Queen of the South
.
Having never acted before, he 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 has starred in three recent films:
He also will star in upcoming titles Soulboy as Joe McCain and horror film the The 4th Reich as Pte. Newman.
More recently Martin made a cameo appearance in small budget webseries 'Night is Day'. He also reportedly auditioned for the role of Scotty in the new Star Trek film, but the role ultimately went to Simon Pegg
.
His next major role will be in the 2010 film Soulboy.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
actor and former professional footballer. He is perhaps most notable for his role as Liam in Sweet Sixteen
Sweet Sixteen (2002 film)
Sweet Sixteen is a 2002 film by director Ken Loach. The film tells the story of a working class Scottish teenage boy, Liam , a typical 'ned', who dreams of starting afresh with his mother who is completing a prison term...
, and for his role as Ewan Brodie
Ewan Brodie
Ewan Brodie is a fictional character in the BBC Scottish drama TV series Monarch of the Glen. Ewan is played by Scottish actor Martin Compston....
in Monarch of the Glen.
Biography
Compston was born and brought up in GreenockGreenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Inverclyde
Inverclyde
Inverclyde is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Together with the Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire council areas, Inverclyde forms part of the historic county of Renfrewshire - which current exists as a registration county and lieutenancy area - located in the west...
, and attended St. Columba's High School in neighbouring Gourock
Gourock
Gourock is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde...
. A youth footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, after leaving school he signed for local professional team Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
.
Compston made two appearances for Morton at the end of the 2001–2002 season, in which the 'Ton were relegated from the Scottish Football League First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
. In both matches he appeared as a substitute, and both times Morton lost 4–0, to Alloa Athletic
Alloa Athletic F.C.
Alloa Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Alloa, Clackmannanshire. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division....
and Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
.
Having never acted before, he successfully auditioned for the lead role in Ken Loach
Ken Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
's Sweet Sixteen, which was being filmed locally. The film's success at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
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 has starred in three recent films:
- A Guide to Recognizing Your SaintsA Guide to Recognizing Your SaintsA Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a 2006 American drama film based on a 2001 memoir of the same name by author and musician Dito Montiel, which describes his youth in Astoria, New York during the 1980s....
(Jury Prize and Best Ensemble Cast at the Sundance Festival) with Robert Downey, Jr.; - Red RoadRed Road (film)Red Road is a 2006 British film directed by Andrea Arnold. It tells the story of a CCTV security operator who observes through her monitors a man from her past. It is named after, and partly set at, the Red Road flats in Barmulloch, Glasgow, Scotland which were the tallest residential buildings in...
(Jury Prize at Cannes) shot in Scotland with Kate Dickie and Tony Curran for which he has been nominated Best Supporting Actor at the Scottish Baftas; - True NorthTrue North (film)True North is a 2006 Scottish drama film directed by Steve Hudson and starring Martin Compston, Peter Mullan, Gary Lewis and Steven Robertson as sailors aboard a Scottish fishing boat smuggling Chinese into the United Kingdom....
with Peter MullanPeter MullanPeter Mullan is a Scottish actor and film-maker who has been appearing in films since 1990.-Early life:Mullan, the sixth of eight children, was born in Peterhead in the northeast of Scotland, the son of Patricia, a nurse, and Charles Mullan, a lab technician who worked at Glasgow University. He...
and Gary Lewis for which he has been nominated for Best Actor, British Independent Film Awards.
He also will star in upcoming titles Soulboy as Joe McCain and horror film the The 4th Reich as Pte. Newman.
More recently Martin made a cameo appearance in small budget webseries 'Night is Day'. He also reportedly auditioned for the role of Scotty in the new Star Trek film, but the role ultimately went to Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film...
.
His next major role will be in the 2010 film Soulboy.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Sweet Sixteen Sweet Sixteen (2002 film) Sweet Sixteen is a 2002 film by director Ken Loach. The film tells the story of a working class Scottish teenage boy, Liam , a typical 'ned', who dreams of starting afresh with his mother who is completing a prison term... |
Liam | |
| 2003 | Monarch of the Glen | Ewan Brodie | twenty episodes between 2003 and 2005 |
| The Royal The Royal The Royal is a British medical drama series produced by ITV. The show comprises one hour episodes which were normally first aired on ITV in the Sunday early evening slot.... |
Jeffrey Carpenter | one episode, "Snakes and Ladders" | |
| 2004 | Næsland | Jed | |
| Casualty (TV series) Casualty (TV series) Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The... |
Matty Howell | one episode, "Lock Down" | |
| 2005 | Tickets Tickets (film) Tickets is a 2005 comedy-drama film directed by Abbas Kiarostami, Ken Loach and Ermanno Olmi.... |
Jamesy | |
| Wild Country | Lee | ||
| 2006 | A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a 2006 American drama film based on a 2001 memoir of the same name by author and musician Dito Montiel, which describes his youth in Astoria, New York during the 1980s.... |
Mike O'Shea | |
| Red Road Red Road (film) Red Road is a 2006 British film directed by Andrea Arnold. It tells the story of a CCTV security operator who observes through her monitors a man from her past. It is named after, and partly set at, the Red Road flats in Barmulloch, Glasgow, Scotland which were the tallest residential buildings in... |
Stevie | ||
| 2007 | True North True North (film) True North is a 2006 Scottish drama film directed by Steve Hudson and starring Martin Compston, Peter Mullan, Gary Lewis and Steven Robertson as sailors aboard a Scottish fishing boat smuggling Chinese into the United Kingdom.... |
Seán | |
| Night is Day Night Is Day Night Is Day is an upcoming independent feature film shot in Glasgow, Scotland. It follows the adventures of Jason Mackenzie , a 20-something year old superpowered vigilante with the power of lightning and the gift of foresight... |
Head Gangster | one episode, "Sacrifices" | |
| 2008 | Doomsday Doomsday (film) Doomsday is a 2008 British science fiction film written and directed by Neil Marshall. The film takes place in the future. Scotland has been quarantined because of a deadly virus. When the virus is found in London, political leaders send a team led by Major Eden Sinclair to Scotland to find a... |
Joshua | |
| Red Mist | Sean | also known as "Freakdog" | |
| 2009 | The Damned United The Damned United The Damned United is a 2009 British sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling novel The Damned Utd, a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of Brian Clough's tenure as manager of Leeds United... |
John O'Hare John O'Hare John O'Hare is a Scottish former footballer. His clubs included Sunderland, Derby County and also Nottingham Forest and was part of their European Cup victory in 1980, coming on as a substitute in the final. He also won thirteen caps for the Scotland national team, scoring five goals.- Career... |
|
| The Disappearance of Alice Creed The Disappearance of Alice Creed The Disappearance of Alice Creed is a 2009 British thriller film about the kidnapping of a young woman by two ex-convicts. The film is written and directed by J Blakeson and stars Gemma Arterton as the captured Alice Creed, with Martin Compston and Eddie Marsan as Danny and Vic, the... |
Danny | ||
| 2010 | Pimp Pimp (film) Pimp is a British thriller film in the mockumentary vein of Man Bites Dog, released on 24 May 2010.It was written and directed by Robert Cavanah who also plays the lead role... |
Zeb | |
| Soulboy | Joe McCain | ||
| Four | Lover | ||
| 2011 | 7lives | Rory |
External links
- http://www.martincompston.com Martin Compston website