Martin Clunes

Alexander Martin ClunesOBEDL(born 28 November 1961) is an English actor, director and television presenter. He is best known for portraying Dr Martin Ellingham in theITVcomedy-drama seriesDoc Martin, Gary Strang inMen Behaving Badly, and William Shawcross inWilliam and Mary. Clunes has narrated a number of documentaries for ITV, the first of which wasIslands of Britainin 2009. He has since presented a number of documentaries centred on animals. He has also voicedKipper the Dogin the animated seriesKipper.
Clunes was appointed anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire(OBE) in the2015 Birthday Honoursfor services to drama, charity and the community in Dorset.
Clunes was born on 28 November 1961 inWimbledon(then inSurrey, now inGreater London), the son of actorAlec Clunesand his second wife, Daphne  (néeAcott) Clunes (4 July 1928 – 17 September 2007).Clunes was educated at theRoyal Russell SchoolinCroydon, and later at theArts Educational Schools, London. He has an older sister, Amanda.Clunes is related to actorJeremy Brett, who was variously described as either Clunes's uncleor cousin.
Clunes played his first role inrepat theMercury Theatre,Colchester,and his first television appearance was in an adaptation ofMikhail Bulgakov'sThe White Guardfor theBBC Play of the Monthin 1982,followed by theDoctor WhostorySnakedancein 1983.A sporadic career led to his supplementing his income as a photo model forGilbert and George, and he can be seen in their 1983 workWorld.He got his first regular television role as one of the sons in theBBCsitcomNo Place Like Home,and then starred in two series of the sitcomAll at No 20.
While Clunes was appearing on stage at theHampstead Theatre,Harry Enfieldcame to see him; the acquaintanceship developed into a friendship where Clunes played characters in Enfield's sketch shows (most notably one of the Rugby Players).Enfield then recommended Clunes for the role of Gary in the sitcomMen Behaving Badly,written for Enfield bySimon Nye, for which Clunes won aBritish Academy Television Awardfor Best Comedy Performance in 1996.He played the part of Group Captain Barker in the two-part TV mini-seriesOver Herethat same year. In 1993, he played Dick Dobson inDemobabout a pair of demobilised soldiers who have to adjust to civilian life after entertaining Second World War troops with a raunchy cabaret act.
Since 1994, Clunes has frequently appeared on theBBC Onepanel showHave I Got News for Youas a panelist or a guest presenter.Clunes has since appeared in films and television shows such asAn Evening with Gary Lineker,Staggered(starred and directed),Hunting Venus,The Booze Cruise,Saving GraceandJeeves and Wooster. In 1998, he was featured inSweet Revengeand appeared asRichard Burbagein the filmShakespeare in Love. Clunes has also acted frequently for the radio, including a guest appearance in theBBC Radio 4seriesBaldi.
In 2001, he played Captain Stickles in theBBC adaptationof R. D. Blackmore'sLorna Doone. In 2002, Clunes playedserial killerJohn George Haighin a Yorkshire TV productionA Is for Acid, and took the lead inITV's production ofGoodbye, Mr. Chips.Clunes was one of the eponymous leads in the 2004 ITV comedy-dramaWilliam and Mary, withJulie Graham. Clunes had worked with Julie Graham previously onDirty Tricks(2000).From 2004 until the conclusion in 2022 Clunes played the lead role of Doctor Martin Ellingham in the ITV comedy drama seriesDoc Martin. In August 2007, Clunes starred in the ITV/TVNZco-productionThe Man Who Lost His Head.
Clunes is a regularvoice-overartist and is the voice of Kipper in the animated children's seriesKipper the Dog, and Stripy inLittle Robots, another animated children's series. For six years (1993–1999) he also did voice acting forSafewayadverts; he provided the voice of Harry in Safeway's 'When Harry Met Molly' advertising campaign during said years. Clunes appeared in a television dramatisation ofFungus the Bogeymanplaying Jessica White's father. Between 2009 and 2010, Clunes starred onBBC Onetelevision in the title role ofReggie Perrin, a re-make of classic 1970s British situation comedyThe Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. In 2015, Clunes played the role ofSir Arthur Conan Doylein the ITV mini-seriesArthur & George. In 2018, Clunes played the role of DCI Colin Sutton in the ITV dramaManhunt(first screened in 2019).In 2019, Clunes returned to sitcom with the BBC1 seriesWarren, saying "It was just so funny, I couldn't turn it down".In 2025 Clunes played the part of a farmer affected by County Lines drug gangs on a Welsh farm in the ITV dramaOut There.
Clunes played Brock in the 1990 filmThe Russia House. He played a character called Martin in the 1992 filmCarry On Columbus; Richard Burbage in the 1998 filmShakespeare in Love;and Anthony Staxton-Billing inSweet Revengethe same year. In 2000, Clunes played the role of Dr. Martin Bamford in the filmSaving Grace, and the follow-up to that filmDoc Martinthe following year (2001), he played James Chancellor inGlobal Heresy.
In 2011, Clunes voiced the mischievous dog Dudley in the short filmMe or the Dog, starringEdward Hoggand directed byAbner Pastoll. Clunes then starred in the 2014 filmNativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?.
In 2008, Clunes presentedMartin Clunes: A Man and his Dogs, which was aired on 24 August 2008.In 2009, Clunes presented a three-part ITV seriesIslands of Britain, which saw him travelling around several of the country's lesser known islands. In 2010 Clunes presented ITV mini-seriesHorsepowerabout man's relationship over time with the horse. This was followed byHeavy Horsepowerwhich aired in 2013.In January 2011, Clunes presented documentaryMartin Clunes: Man to Manta.In June 2012 Clunes presented a documentary series onITVabout thelemursofMadagascarcalledMartin Clunes: The Lemurs of Madagascar.
On 31 January 2013, Clunes narrated ITV documentarySecret Life of Dogs. Then, on 2 and 3 June 2014, he narrated two more follow-up documentaries,Secret Life of CatsandSecret Life of Babies.On 4 April 2014 Clunes hosted a one-off ITV documentary calledMartin Clunes & A Lion Called Mugie, following the work of conservationists inKenyaas well as tracking the progress of alioncalled Mugie. The documentary was filmed over a period of three years.In August 2014 Clunes narrated ITV's three-part documentary seriesKids with Cameras: Diary of a Children's Wardwhich saw Newcastle's children's ward through the eyes of its patients.In April 2015 Clunes narratedCarry on Forever, a three part documentary series forITV3. It was shown over the Easter weekend.
In May 2015, Clunes presentedMan & Beast with Martin Clunes, a two-part factual series for ITV, which looked at the relationship between humans and animals.In 2016, he narratedRising Damp Forever, a two-part documentary series for ITV3. He also voiced ITV programmesSecrets of Growing Old,Secrets of Growing UpandBritain's Favourite Dogs. Also in 2016,Martin Clunes: Islands of Australia(also known asIslands of Oz) was released as a three-part Australian documentary television series produced byProspero Productionsfor theSeven Networkthat "follows acclaimed actor and comedian Martin Clunes as he explores the most diverse, intriguing, remote and spectacular islands that surround Australia."In 2019,Martin Clunes: Islands of Americawas released as a four-part documentary where he traveled to remote islands across the United States.
Clunes's first marriage was to actress Lucy Aston in 1990.They divorced in 1997 and Clunes married futureDoc Martinproducer Philippa Braithwaite later that year.In 1999, Braithwaite gave birth to their daughter Emily.As of 2013, Clunes and his family live inBeaminster,Dorset, where they run a farm withheavy horses.
A sponsor of numerous charities, Clunes made a short on-line film withStephen FryaboutHIVdiscrimination for theTerrence Higgins Trust.
Clunes supports Weldmar Hospicecare Trust in Dorset and is a Patron of Julia's House, the Dorset and Wiltshire children's hospice.The Buckham Fair is organised in support of these charities.In January 2011, Clunes became a patron of Animal Care in Egypt (ACE).
Clunes was a patron of theBorn Free Foundation, and had filmed several adverts for the charity. However, he was dropped by the foundation in May 2019, after he was filmed riding an elephant in an episode of the ITV documentary seriesMy Travels with Other Animals.He has also been involved in theComic Reliefcharity which fundsSurvival Internationaland African Initiatives, two organisations working with theMaasaion indigenous land rights issues. He is a celebrity supporter of The Dog Rescue Federation.
Clunes was made anOfficer of the Order of the British Empire(OBE) in the Civil Division on 13 June 2015 in the2015 Queen's Birthday Honours List.He was appointed as aDeputy Lieutenant(DL) of theCountyofDorseton 19 June 2019.
Bournemouth Universityawarded him thehonorary degreeofDoctor of Arts(D.Arts) on 9 November 2007.He has been president of theBritish Horse Societysince 1 June 2011.
In 2024, Clunes was named as the inauguralChancellorforHartpury University and Hartpury College.