Sara Martins

Sara Martins(born 19 August 1977) is a French actress.She is known inFrancefor her roles on television and in film and theatre.She also appeared as Detective SergeantCamille Bordeyin the joint British-French crime comedy-dramaDeath in Paradise, filmed inGuadeloupe, a Frenchoverseas department. She left the show halfway through series 4 (January 2015).
She later returned to Season 10 E6 to reprise her role temporarily, and again in Series 13 Episode 1, in a video call with Neville.
Martins was born inFaro, in the Portuguese region ofAlgarve, and is ofCape Verdeandescent.She moved to France at the age of three.She studied ballet in her youth and was the first person of African descent to join theLyon Opera. She learned that she would be unable to advance to theParis Opera, where the corps was expected to look alike and there were no other black dancers. Instead, she received herBaccalauréatwith a theater option.After receiving aDEUGinlaw,at age 20 she studied at the École de théâtre Les Enfants Terribles inParis.Then, she completed an acting degree at the extremely selectiveFrench National Academy of Dramatic Arts.She learned English throughU2lyrics as a teenager.
Shortly after graduating from high school, Martins was hired byRoger Planchonfor a local production ofLe Radeau de la Méduseat theThéâtre National PopulaireinVilleurbanne.She appeared in a play at theYoung Vicin London calledLe Costume(The Suit) and in a French-language production of David Mamet’sRace.
Martins' television debut was in 2001, in the French police seriesMaigretandPolice District.She appeared in the seriesPigalle, la nuitas Fleur. While filmingDeath in Paradise, Martins worked on the French TV crime seriesDétectivesin lead role of Nora Abadie.
She appeared in the filmParis, je t'aime(2006) in the segment Parc Monceau, the 17th arrondissement.
In April 2011,BBC Oneannounced that Martins would appear in the crime comedy-dramaDeath in Paradise, co-produced withFrance Télévisions.The series was Martins' debut in both comedy and on British television.Martins did have experience playing a police officer.Death in Paradisepremiered on 25 October 2011. Martins playedCamille Bordey, a detective sergeant on the fictionalCaribbeanisland of Saint-Marie. Camille and other local officers help British Detective InspectorRichard Poole(played byBen Millerin the first two series) solve murders. During a stunt for a first series episode, Martins tore herachilles tendon.She has said that during the production ofDeath in Paradiseshe discovered that some of her mannerisms are distinctly French.
The third series killed off Inspector Poole in the first episode and he was replaced by another British Detective Inspector,Humphrey Goodman(played byKris Marshall). The fourth episode of the fourth series "Until Death Do You Part", was Martins' last; her character was written out as moving to Paris. Of her departure from the show, she is quoted as saying: "I’ve loved everything about the show. But the only way to grow in life is to take risks, even if it means losing something you love, or leaving a place that’s comfortable".In 2021, she and Miller returned for a two-part episode.
Sara Martins appeared in two French detective shows,La Loi d'Alexandre, first episode ("Comme des frères"), andCapitaine Marleau, episode 2 ("La mémoire enfouie") in Series 2. She appeared in the British seriesFather Brownin 2018 as the wife of criminalFlambeau.
In 2018, she had the role of police inspector in the television movieUn Mensonge Oublié, English titleChildren of the Lie. She also appeared inKiss & Tell(Voyez Comme On Danse) and the British TG movie,I Love My Mum.
In 2020, she played the police detective in the French television series of 8 episodes,Grand Hôtel. She appeared as Victoire inRéunions, a French television series set onLa Réunion, for 6 episodes. She played Diane Dombre in the French television seriesAlexandra Ehle, about a persistent coroner in Bordeaux.
She played a role inCitadel, on Prime Video in 2023.