Anna Maxwell Martin Line Of Duty
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Anna Maxwell Martin returns as DCS Patricia Carmichael in Line of Duty

Anna is a BAFTA award-winning actress - and well she deserves it!

Line Of Duty has teased the return of actress Anna Maxwell Martin and her unforgettably snarky character, DCS Patricia Carmichael, throughout the past week and boy did she deliver on her return.

Anna has been a recognisable face on viewers’ screens for almost 20 years.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 43-year-old actress become famous, and is she married?

Patricia Carmichael (Anna Maxwell Martin) is back on Line Of Duty
Pat’s back on Line Of Duty! (Credit: BBC)

Who is Line Of Duty character DCS Patricia Carmichael?

The head of AC-3, Patricia is a steely, no-nonsense Detective Chief Superintendent.

Ruthless and sarcastic she might be, but many regard her as someone who has risen through the ranks quickly… perhaps a bit too quickly.

Regardless of whether she had an easy climb up the career ladder or not, the full force of DCS Carmichael was felt in series five.

She was called in to haul AC-12’s Ted Hastings over the coals because of claims he was a bent copper.

Read more: Line Of Duty: BBC confirms Anna Maxwell Martin to return THIS WEEK!

In a series of intense interrogation scenes, Carmichael had Ted on the ropes.

But thanks to DIs Steve Arnott and Kate Fleming, and some last minute evidence, he was off the hook.

It didn’t help that one of Carmichael’s own team was a wrong ‘un, too.

However, Carmichael remained suspicious of Ted and his dealings, and now she’s back to cause him more grief.

Meg Julia, Liz and Kevin in the Motherland Christmas special
Anna in Motherland (Credit: BBC)

How did Anna become famous?

After a successful theatre production of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials in 2003, Anna became a household name thanks to her appearance in BBC One’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Bleak House in 2004.

Playing Esther Summerson, Anna won a BAFTA for her performance.

Appearances in Doctor Who, BBC Two drama White Girl and Channel 4 series, Poppy Shakespeare soon followed. For her performance in the latter, she won another BAFTA.

In 2012, she played a central role in ITV’s period crime drama, The Bletchley Circle.

But it was 2017’s Motherland that demonstrated Anna’s amazing range.

The award-winning comedy series saw her play flustered mother Julia.

Series three of the series on its way this spring.

Nicola Walker in Unforgotten
Anna is not related to Nicola Walker (Credit: ITV)

Are Anna Maxwell Martin and Nicola Walker related?

Over the years, fans have asked whether Anna and Unforgotten star, Nicola Walker, are related.

Despite the resemblance between the two – and heavy internet searches by people who are convinced they are – Anna and Nicola are not related.

Anna Maxwell Martin Line Of Duty
Anna and Roger have split (Credit: Sue Andrews / FameFlynet.uk.com / SplashNews.com)

Is Anna married?

Anna split from her theatre director husband Roger Michell sometime in early 2020.

She told You magazine: “I groomed him to fall in love with me. But you know, we aren’t together anymore.

“Our marriage has ended and we’ve been separated for quite some time. I haven’t really spoken about it because it isn’t fair on all the people involved.

Read more: Alison Hammond makes Line of Duty gaffe as PC Ryan Pilkington actor appears on This Morning

“There are four children to think about. It’s taken an enormous amount of time, but we are all getting through it in a healthy way.”

Anna and Roger share two daughters together – Maggie, 11, and Nancy, eight.

Roger also has two more children from a previous relationship.

Who's the best parent? | MOTHERLAND Official Clip [HD]

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Nancy Brown
Associate Editor