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Martin Compston

Biography

Martin Compston

Overview

  • Born
    May 8, 1984 · Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK
  • Nickname
    • Martino
  • Height
    5′ 8″ (1.73 m)

Mini bio

  • Martin Compston grew up in Greenock, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire. He spent his teen years going to see soccer (football) team Celtic with his brother Barry and dreamed one day he would play for them. He attended St. Columba's High School in Gourock, Inverclyde, where he passed through his Standard Grade Exams and obtained three As and two Bs in his Higher results. He left school after his fifth year to pursue his dream as a footballer and was soon signed by Morton Football Team.

    In 2000, director Ken Loach discovered him at an audition at his old high school and gave him the lead role in Sweet Sixteen (2002). The movie was filmed in Martin's home area, including Greenock, Gourock, Inverkip, Kilmalcolm, and Wemyss Bay. The film was a huge success, which shot Martin into full view of the public and even gave some fame to Inverclyde. However, many counselors thought that this was bad publicity because the film has to do with drugs and underage drinking. However, Ken Loach then made a statement that the movie was not based on Greenock and Inverclyde - but was only filmed there, as that was where Martin was located.

    Compston reunited with Loach for the omnibus film Tickets (2005)
    - IMDb mini biography by: Inverclyde

Family

  • Spouse
      Tianna Chanel Flynn(June 19, 2016 - present) (1 child)
  • Parents
      Jim Compston
      Liz Compston
  • Relatives
      Barry Compston(Sibling)

Trivia

  • Fought with the local council to have Sweet Sixteen (2002) reduced to a certificate 15 in his area for the teenagers to learn from Liam's mistakes. The battle was successful.
  • At 17, Martin was playing Division II soccer (football) in a Scottish high school and had never acted until being discovered by director Ken Loach, who cast him as the lead in Sweet Sixteen (2002).
  • Sweet Sixteen (2002) was his first film and was critically acclaimed at the 2002 Cannes Festival in France.
  • Had a heart tattoo on his right wrist. His Wife has a matching one. He got the matching tattoo's to prove to his now Mother in law of his commitment to the relationship after meeting her for the first time. She had taken him to a firing range earlier that day to show her shooting skills.
  • The son of Liz and Jim Compston, Martin attended St. Columba's High School, Gourock, Inverclyde, Scotland. He left at the end of his fifth year there to be signed by Greenock Morton Football Club, despite reportedly earning As and Bs in his exam results.

Quotes

  • I've two huge German shepherds who are my boys. They're called Biscuit and Buster and I love them to bits. They're two years old. - Interview with the BBC, 17 October 2004.
  • I've been lucky enough to work with some great directors, and I don't want to throw that away by doing one big horrible big budget film.
  • I don't regret giving up football for acting. I love football and am very proud I played for Morton. But the truth is, I wasn't going to get much higher in football. At the same time, I sensed I could go somewhere in acting. I'm 28, which is young for acting, whereas in football I'd now be near the end of my career.
  • Acting has been really to good me. You end up in some wild places, and I love adventure.
  • There was a lot of pressure on me when I was 18, 19 to move to America. I went out for a couple of weeks and hated it. I thought I could go out of my mind. You could really see how people could go off the rails.

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