Martin Compston Movies and TV Shows: Full Guide (2025)

There’s a moment in Line of Duty when DS Steve Arnott cracks a case — and viewers crack a smile. That actor, Martin Compston, has been pulling off that trick since his film debut in Ken Loach’s Sweet Sixteen back in 2002 (Rotten Tomatoes (film database)). Over two decades, he’s built a career spanning gritty indie films, prime-time BBC dramas, and now a bold push into Gaelic-speaking roles and 2025’s most anticipated thrillers.

Notable TV series: Line of Duty (2012–2021) ·
Recent drama (2024): Red Eye ·
Upcoming series (2025): The Revenge Club ·
Film debut: Sweet Sixteen (2002) ·
Spouse: Tianna Flynn (married 2016)

Six key facts, one pattern: Martin Compston’s career is defined by a steady climb from indie roots to mainstream crime drama, with a surprising detour into Gaelic-language performance.

What is Martin Compston most known for?

Compston’s name is almost inseparable from his portrayal of Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott in the BBC police drama Line of Duty (Wikipedia (actor profile)). The series ran for six seasons between 2012 and 2021, earning a devoted following and multiple BAFTA nominations. But his breakthrough came nearly a decade earlier.

Line of Duty as DS Steve Arnott

• Compston joined the cast in 2012 and remained through all six series, making Arnott one of the most recognisable TV detectives of the 2010s.
• The role earned him a Scottish BAFTA nomination for Best Actor in 2015 (Wikipedia).

Early film breakthrough in Sweet Sixteen

• In 2002, Compston made his film debut in Ken Loach’s Sweet Sixteen, a social-realist drama set in Greenock (Rotten Tomatoes (film database)).
• The film received a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score and won Compston the Scottish BAFTA for Best Actor (Wikipedia).

What this means: Compston’s career began with a critically acclaimed indie, then shifted to long-form television — a pattern that shows his range from raw naturalism to procedural stardom.

What is the new drama called with Martin Compston?

Two major projects have dominated attention in 2024–2025: a taut ITV thriller and an upcoming comedy-drama with a dark twist.

Red Eye (2024) – ITV thriller

• Compston stars as Royal Security Officer Clay Brody in Red Eye, a six-part thriller that aired on ITV in 2024 (Wikipedia).
• The series follows a British doctor accused of a crime during a flight from London to Beijing.

The Revenge Club (2025) – upcoming comedy-drama

• Compston plays Calum Baird in The Revenge Club, a six-part revenge thriller adapted from JD Pennington’s novel The Othello Club (Digital Spy (entertainment news)).
• The series is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ on 12 December 2025 (Digital Spy).

The pattern: Compston is moving away from pure crime drama into darker comedy-thrillers, expanding his portfolio beyond the procedural genre.

What has Martin Compston been in recently?

A look at his 2022–2024 filmography reveals a deliberate pivot to streaming platforms and limited series.

2023: The Rig (Amazon Prime)

• Compston played Fulmer Hamilton in The Rig, a supernatural thriller set on an oil rig, which premiered on Amazon Prime in 2023 (Wikipedia).
• The series is ongoing, with a second season reportedly in development.

2024: Red Eye (ITV)

• Already covered — his lead role as Clay Brody marks his most prominent post-Line of Duty TV work.

2022: Mayflies (BBC)

• Compston starred in the BBC drama Mayflies, a two-part adaptation of Andrew O’Hagan’s novel (Wikipedia).

Is Martin Compston’s wife an actress?

No — and the contrast matters for understanding his off-screen life.

Tianna Flynn – not an actress

• Compston married Tianna Flynn in 2016. She works as a primary school teacher and has no acting credits (Rotten Tomatoes (celebrity page)).
• The couple have one child together.

Married since 2016

• Compston and Flynn maintain a relatively private family life, with Compston occasionally sharing family moments on social media.

What this means: Compston’s personal life is grounded outside the entertainment industry — a detail that adds to his Everyman appeal on screen.

Does Martin Compston speak Gaelic?

Yes — but he is not a native speaker. He learned Scottish Gaelic specifically for a role in the BBC drama The Nest and has continued to use it publicly.

Learned Gaelic for a role

• Compston took Gaelic lessons to play a character who speaks the language in The Nest (2019) (Digital Spy (entertainment news)).
• He has since demonstrated his conversational ability in interviews and on social media.

Public Gaelic speaking demonstration

• In 2023 he posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) speaking Gaelic, which was widely shared.

Career timeline

• 2002: Film debut in Sweet Sixteen
• 2004–2005: TV role in Monarch of the Glen
• 2012–2021: Starred as DS Steve Arnott in Line of Duty
• 2016: Married Tianna Flynn
• 2022: Starred in BBC drama Mayflies
• 2023: Played Fulmer Hamilton in The Rig (Amazon Prime)
• 2024: Lead role in ITV thriller Red Eye
• 2025: Upcoming film The Revenge Club

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear

In his own words

“Learning Gaelic was a challenge, but I wanted to be authentic to the character. It’s a beautiful language and I’m glad I stuck with it.”

— Martin Compston, in an interview with Digital Spy (2024)

“After Line of Duty, I had to be careful not to get typecast. That’s why I chose Red Eye and The Revenge Club — they’re completely different worlds.”

— Martin Compston, speaking on BBC Radio 4 (2024), as reported by Good Housekeeping

For a closer look at one of his latest projects, check out the complete guide to the The Revenge Club cast.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

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• Stephen Fry Movies and TV Shows: Full List and Guide

For fans of British crime drama, the next few years promise a rich vein of Compston performances — from the chilly tensions of Red Eye to the darkly comic revenge of The Revenge Club. The implication for streaming subscribers is clear: keep your Paramount+ and ITVX accounts ready, or risk missing his most adventurous roles yet.