line of duty Martin compston
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Line of Duty’s Martin Compston: Is he married and where’s he from?

He plays Steve Arnott in the corrupt cop drama

Line of Duty is back and we couldn’t be happier to see Martin Compston once again gracing our screens – is the actor married and where is he from.

Read on to learn all about him! The actor, 36, has played AC-12 favourite Steve Arnott since the series started in 2012.

But could this series be his last?

Martin teased a clip on Instagram that revealed Steve is ready to leave AC-12.

And creator Jed Mercurio has said none of the leading actors are safe from being killed off.

But who is Martin Compston, what’s he been in before, and is the hunky actor married?

We’ve got all the goss!

series six line of duty
Martin Compston plays Steve Arnott in Line of Duty (Credit: BBC)

Where is Line of Duty star Martin Compston from?

Despite his accent in Line of Duty, Martin is actually Scottish, as any of his Instagram followers will know from videos on his Stories.

He was born in Greenock, just outside Glasgow, in Scotland, on May 8 1984.

Read more: Martin Compston teases Steve Arnott is looking to quit AC-12

He has an elder brother, Barry, and recently bought a home in Greenock to be closer to parents Jim and Liz when he returns home.

Martin no longer lives in Scotland – or indeed the UK.

Instead, Martin resides in Las Vegas, doubtless racking up those Air Miles now he’s hot TV property thanks to his Line of Duty casting.

Who is Martin Compston married to?

Now, that’s the reason Martin lives in Vegas.

He’s married to American actress Tianna Flynn, and it’s her hometown.

The couple tied the knot in 2016, but they’re pretty private about their personal life.

In 2019, however, he confirmed that Tianna was pregnant with the couple’s first child.

In March 2020 he revealed to fans that he had become a father.

Read more: Adrian Dunbar subjected to ’embarrassing’ interview on BBC Breakfast 

The name of their child hasn’t been revealed, and he hasn’t shared any photos of the tot – whose gender is also a mystery.

And, if you think gorgeous Tianna looks familiar, that’s because you would have seen her on screen in Line of Duty.

She had a cameo in the 2019 series of the police drama when her picture popped up on a dating app after her character Tina Watts sent Steve Arnott a message.

The couple’s dog also appeared in the picture.

Martin Compston's wife in line of duty
His wife Tianna Flynn had a cameo in the series (Credit: BBC)

What was Martin in before Line of Duty?

Before acting called his name, Martin was actually a professional footballer.

He was on the books of Aberdeen FC and signed to Greenock Morton when he left school.

However, all that changed when fame – and an award at the Cannes Film Festival – came calling after he won a role in Ken Loach’s Sweet Sixteen, which was being filmed near his home.

One thing I will say is, there are a lot of big questions that get answered this year.

After that, he landed a recurring role in the BBC’s Monarch of the Glen before the big screen and a handful of film roles came his way.

One of the films, 2010’s Soulboy, saw his path cross with Line of Duty star Craig Parkinson for the very first time.

The pair were cast as anti-corruption officers by the BBC just two years later.

What can you watch the Line of Duty cast in?
Martin as a fresh-faced youngster in the show’s very first episode (Credit: BBC)

What else has Martin Compston been in?

Martin’s been a busy boy as he’s worked in between breaks in the filming of Line of Duty.

He starred in ITV miniseries The Ice Cream Girls, the BBC’s Great Train Robbery and he played a serial killer in Scottish three-parter In Plain Sight back in 2016.

More recently, Martin appeared in the first series of surrogacy drama The Nest on BBC One.

He also appeared in Alibi’s Traces, which was recommissioned for a second series after being picked up by the BBC.

He recently confirmed that he had started reading scripts for the second season.

Martin has also revealed he’s signed up to appear alongside fellow Line of Duty star Rochenda Sandall in The Rig. It’ll be filmed in Edinburgh.

We’re also hoping to see him in series seven of Line of Duty, should creator Jed Mercurio decide to write another season of the corrupt cop drama.

Speaking to Lorraine about the new series, he said: “One thing I will say is, there are a lot of big questions that get answered this year.

“I think personally… series three was a lot of our favourites because it was sort of the culmination of series one, two and three coming together.

“And with six it feels like that again. It feels like four and five have been building to this big climax.”

Poster

Line of Duty is on Sunday nights at 9pm on BBC One.

Head to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and tell us if you’re a Martin Compston fan.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor