Martin Clunes

**Character name** is...Martin Clunes

**Alexander Martin Clunes**, OBE (born 28 November 1961) is an English actor, television presenter, film director and comedian. He is best known for portraying Martin Ellingham in the ITV drama series *Doc Martin* and Gary Strang in *Men Behaving Badly*. Clunes has narrated a number of documentaries for ITV, the first of which was *Islands of Britain* in 2009. He has since presented a number of documentaries centred on animals. He has also voiced Kipper the Dog in the animated series, *Kipper*.

Clunes was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours for services to drama, charity and the community in Dorset.

## Biography

Clunes was born in Wimbledon, London, in November 1961, the son of respected actor Alec Clunes.[3][4] Clunes was educated at the Royal Russell School in Croydon, London, and later at the Arts Educational Schools, London. He is the son of classical actor Alec Clunes. He has an older sister Amanda.[5] He is a nephew of the actor Jeremy Brett. Clunes' father died of lung cancer when Clunes was eight years old.[6][7]

Clunes served his first role in rep at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester,[8] and his first television appearance came in the 1983 *Doctor Who* story *Snakedance*.[8] But a sporadic career led to his supplementing his income as a photo model for Gilbert and George, and he can be seen in their 1983 work *World.*[9]

He got his first regular television role as one of the sons in the BBC sitcom *No Place Like Home*,[10] and then starred in two series of the sitcom *All at No 20*.[11]

While Clunes was appearing on stage at the Hampstead Theatre, Harry Enfield came 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).[12] Enfield then recommended Clunes for the role of Gary in the sitcom *Men Behaving Badly*,[13] written for Enfield by Simon Nye, for which Clunes won a BAFTA television award for Best Comedy Performance in 1996.[14] He played the part of Group Captain Barker in the two-part TV mini-series *Over Here* that same year. In 1993, he played Dick Dobson in *Demob* about 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 the BBC One panel show *Have I Got News for You* as a panelist or a guest presenter.[15][16]

Clunes has since appeared in films and television shows such as *An Evening with Gary Lineker*, *Staggered* (starred and directed), *Hunting Venus*, *The Booze Cruise*, *Saving Grace*and *Jeeves and Wooster*. In 1998, he was featured in *Sweet Revenge* and appeared as Richard Burbage in the film *Shakespeare in Love*. Clunes has also acted frequently for the radio, including a guest appearance in the BBC Radio 4 series *Baldi*.

In 2001, he played Captain Stickles in the BBC adaptation of R. D. Blackmore's *Lorna Doone*.

In 2002, Clunes played serial killer John George Haigh in a Yorkshire TV production *A Is for Acid*, and took the lead in ITV's production of *Goodbye Mr Chips*.[17]

Clunes was one of the eponymous leads in the 2004 ITV comedy-drama *William and Mary*, with Julie Graham. Clunes had worked with Julie Graham previously on *Dirty Tricks*(2000).[18]

Since 2004, Clunes has played the lead role of Doctor Martin Ellingham in the ITV comedy drama series *Doc Martin*.

In August 2007, Clunes starred in the ITV/TVNZ co-production *The Man Who Lost His Head*.[19]

Clunes is a regular voice over artist and is the voice of Kipper in the animated children's series *Kipper the Dog*. For six years (1993–1999) he also did voice acting for Safewayadverts; he provided the voice of Harry in Safeway's 'When Harry Met Molly' advertising campaign during said years.

Clunes appeared in a television dramatisation of *Fungus the Bogeyman* playing Jessica White's father.

Between 2009 and 2010, Clunes starred on BBC One television in the title role of *Reggie Perrin*, a re-make of classic 1970s British situation comedy *The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin*. In 2015, Clunes played the role of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the ITV mini-series *Arthur & George*. In 2018, Clunes played the role of DCI Colin Sutton in the ITV drama *Manhunt* (first screened in 2019).[20] In 2019, Clunes return to sitcom with the BBC1 series *Warren*, saying "It was just so funny, I couldn't turn it down".[21]

## Behind the scenes

Chris Lang and Martin Clunes will be the new recurring characters in season 2 present.