Martin Compston: ‘Who would play me in the film of my life? Vicky McClure’

Born in Greenock, Martin Compston, 37, played professional football as a teenager. He was cast in Ken Loach’s film Sweet Sixteen, and won most promising newcomer at the 2002 British Independent Film Awards. Since 2012 he has played Steve Arnott in the BBC drama Line of Duty. His other television work includes Vigil and Our House, a new thriller starting on ITV on 7 March. He is married with a son, and has homes in Las Vegas and Scotland.

What is your earliest memory?
Pushing my big brother off the bunk bed and hearing the yelp when he hit the ground.

Aside from a property, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?
An ornate carved pool table. With travelling, I’ve not had a game on it in two years.

Describe yourself in three words
Sociable, argumentative and silly.

What makes you unhappy?
World politics – the clowns running certain institutions.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I wouldn’t mind being 5ft 10in.

Who would play you in the film of your life?
Vicky McClure.

What scares you about getting older?
The speed of it. It feels like I went from 25 to 37 in the blink of an eye. I fear getting to 80 and having regrets.

Who is your celebrity crush?
Christina Milian.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A footballer.

What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
When I signed as a pro with Aberdeen, I got told to stand up in assembly. At the end, the headteacher said: “Oh, and maybe at some point you’ll actually sign for a decent team!” This proud moment turned into everybody giggling at me. It was bizarre.

Would you choose fame or anonymity?
I had a nice level of fame before Line of Duty six came out last year. Then, anything we said was in the papers, and people were following us around, which I find hard with a young kid. But if I didn’t work for a couple of years, there is a part of me that would miss it.

What does love feel like?
A safety net.

Have you ever said “I love you” without meaning it?
Yeah.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Cracker. I call everybody “a wee cracker”.

What is the worst job you’ve done?
There was a period when I did four or five terrible films. My agent said: “Don’t do them.” But it was my month’s rent for a day’s work. One time, my green room was a lorry. It started snowing and it was just me and a plastic chair in the back of an open lorry. It was pretty grim.

When’s the last time you changed your mind about something significant?
I would describe myself as a sociable guy but, as you get older, being the last one at the party becomes more sad than funny. So, at the tail end of the last year, I thought it was time to grow up a bit.

What would you like to leave your children?
I think the trick is to make sure your kid’s comfortable, but not spoilt.

Would you rather have more sex, money or fame?
Money.

What happens when we die?
I don’t know, and I think sometimes people get so obsessed with that question, they don’t care about the present. Make the most of being here.