Scrummy Scot

Scottish actor martin Compston, 32, is no stranger to the small screen, having swapped a career in football to star in hits like Monarch Of The Glen and The Ice Cream Girls. now he’s back as Londoner DS Steve arnott in the new series of BBC show Line Of Duty. martin wed US actress Tianna Chanel Flynn last June and they split their time between the UK and La.

During Line Of Duty, I keep the London dialect – even when I’m not filming. It’s easier for people. Otherwise they start looking for mistakes. But it makes for an interesting wrap party when I go back to my normal accent. I’ve had people tell me to stop it and that it doesn’t suit my face.

adrian Dunbar and Vicky mcclure and I go to each other’s flats to run lines as we all live in the same building when we’re filming. They’ll do a bit more cooking than I will, but I actually cooked for them for the first time this year!

I used to hate La because you’d go over there and either be auditioning or drinking with your UK pals. That’s great for a month, but then it becomes really depressing, and it’s such a cutthroat place, I didn’t feel like there was any soul. Then I did a bit of volunteering in soup kitchens, just to see another side to LA and meet some of the real faces. And that made me feel more of a connection with the place.

my missus is from La and we have a nice life there. We’ve moved to North Hollywood and there’s a nice community there. I have my dog and my hammock in the garden. I’ve even gone a bit soft with the weather – I like it!

I don’t regret giving up football for acting. I love football and am proud I played for Greenock Morton. But the truth is, I wasn’t going to get much higher in football. But I sensed I could go somewhere in acting.

✱ Line Of Duty, Sundays, BBC1