On Affection, Las Vegas and Line of Duty: Spotlight on Martin Compston's Diverse Projects
While audiences embark on the incredibly long wait for the next season of Line of Duty, which begins shooting in January, star Martin Compston is set to be seen across multiple new roles. He features in a couple of unexpected roles and again in the beloved role of a brisk and taciturn protagonist in Red Eye.
New Territory in The Revenge Club
First up is The Revenge Club, where Compston offers a revelatory performance. The story involves a support group for divorcees, a motley group brought together only by their shared situation of being left. “There is no other explanation for these characters to be in each other’s orbit,” Compston notes. “They’re all desperate and in desperate need of connection. They’re all, in their own ways, broken, which makes for this explosive mix.”
“With an excitement about what you’re doing and zeal for what you’re doing, the public will follow you.”
While this may sound miserable, the series is far from it – including scenes in a beat-up community centre are full of life. The deeds of revenge, undertaken by the entire group, start off quite harmless before escalating into more serious ground. The drama at first evokes familiar tones but rapidly finds its particular identity. “It resides in its own space,” he says. “It transitions from intense scenes into a sort of caper. You believe you’re going down a certain path, then you’re not.”
Venturing Beyond the Usual Role
Two interesting aspects emerge about Compston's role in this show. The initial is that he's playing for laughs, a departure for him. “This was outside my usual wheelhouse,” admits Compston. The second shift is his role as the romantic lead, a notable departure from his typically complex fictional love life. Compston and his co-star display a delightful sparky dynamic.
“This is one of the things I admire about the show,” he continues. “We’re not just good guys who have been wronged. Our former partners might just be people who’ve continued with their lives. We’ve all gone down this road because we had little to cling on to, and suddenly we have this unit.”
A Tour of Las Vegas
Perhaps more surprising is the off-screen Compston showcased in the upcoming travelogue Living Las Vegas. Having wed American actor Tianna Chanel Flynn nearly a decade ago, he splits his time between Greenock and Nevada. The show features him exploring his second home city, meeting locals from a retro store owner to horse riding instructors. It shows a cute and intentionally non-political view of daily life.
“A lot of people live their lives on social media,” he remarks, carefully. “I am not unaware of the challenges out there, but we reside on a lovely street, we’ve got friendly neighbours... everyone is just going about our lives.” He states his own ideological leanings but adds that, as a resident, he generally chooses to remain private in an increasingly divisive public space.
The New Series of a Hit
The highly-anticipated news of Line of Duty's seventh season has fueled enormous anticipation. The show earned record ratings for its last finale. “That 9 o’clock time, be it on a Sunday night or over the holidays, it’s gold dust,” Compston says. “You feel like you’ve got the nation in the palm of your hand if you’ve got something great to show them.”
He thinks that the character of Supt Ted Hastings, played by Adrian Dunbar, has resonated strongly with audiences. “He is like the nation’s favourite. A man who wants to do the right thing. People want to support the good guys, and believe there are good guys out there.”
Future Projects
In the interim, Compston returns to action-packed thriller territory in the second series of Red Eye, channeling the focused qualities viewers love him for. Beyond acting, he is increasingly thinking about behind-the-scenes roles. “You get that deep-seated guilt, you feel you need to do something,” he explains of his work ethic.
He describes one idea, a biopic about Allan Pinkerton, a Scottish man who established the Pinkerton detective agency in America. “He started the detective agency, worked on the Underground Railroad... had an incredible life. This man from the Gorbals.” It sounds like a project perfectly tailored for an actor celebrated for playing driven individuals.
The Revenge Club is available now on Paramount+; Red Eye is broadcast on ITV1 on New Year’s Day.
