Cover star:
Martin Clunes on his animals, new show, and retirement plans!
He born may and be London bred, but having spent the past two decades tucked away on a farm in Dorset, Martin Clunes is well and truly a country boy nowadays.
The much-loved actor, who is best known for his long-running role as cantankerous rural GP Doc Martin, enjoys nothing more than donning a pair of wellies as he tends to his motley collection of animals.
And the 57-year-old finds the country lifestyle he shares with his wife, Philippa Braithwaite, and teenage daughter, Emily, the ideal way to switch off from the stresses and strains of his
hectic filming schedule.
‘The perfect antidote to my working experience is having that space in front of me, instead of the camera or make-up sponge,’ says Martin.
The 130-acre farm is home to a dozen horses, including Clydesdales and
five miniature Shetland ponies, plus a herd of 50 cattle and assorted sheep, hens, dogs and cats.
‘When I’m not out with the horses, dogs or stock, what I really like to do is to cut the grass. I absolutely love it and I’m a complete big head about my prowess,’ says Martin. ‘I like to think I’m sculpting the grass, rather than merely mowing.’
Not that he will have had much time with his mower recently, having
just finished the busiest
year of his life.
He’s currently filming a new BBC1 sitcom, Warren, about an irascible driving
instructor, he’s just finished a documentary series for ITV,
Islands of America, and later this year he’ll be working on what is rumoured to be the last-ever series of Doc Martin.
But before all that is the release of much-anticipated ITV drama Manhunt, which sees Martin tackle the role of real-life police inspector
Colin Sutton, the man responsible for tenaciously tracking down serial killer
Levi Bellfield in 2004. The three-part series is a
career first for
Martin. Not only is it
the first time he has portrayed a living person, but he also reveals it’s the only time in his 35-year career that he has ever played a policeman.
‘I generally work in the land of make-believe and silliness, so it was a huge departure for me to do something like this. And with it comes that responsibility, which is a new thing for me as well,’ he says.
‘I’ve resisted the offers of detective dramas, because
they don’t float my boat really. They are so popular with the audience, but they’re not for me.’
Yet, with down-to-earth Colin as far removed from the image of a slick cop as possible, Martin found himself persuaded.
‘This was so different and a story worth telling. Colin was what interested me,’ he explains. ‘The chance to be that person doing that job, rather than the policemen who wear their best clothes to work and drive fast cars.’
The three-part drama follows the investigation by the former London Metropolitan police detective as he searched for the killer of French student, Amélie Delagrange, who was found dead on London’s Twickenham Green. After
his capture, Bellfield was also linked to the murders of schoolgirl Milly Dowler in 2002 and student Marsha McDonnell in 2003.
To prepare for the role, Martin met Colin and during
filming he even carried Colin’s real A-Z London street map and a facsimile of his diary. He also spent a day with Hampshire Police and says the role has led to a newfound respect for the force.
‘Growing up worrying about being caught with no tax on my moped, you see the police as one thing, and actually they’re not,’ he explains. ‘They’re not doing it because they’re all bent cops – they’re doing it because they care. Just like nurses and doctors, they care about solving these problems and getting these people off the street. I had no idea how
refined their work is.’
Manhunt’s executive producer is Martin’s wife Philippa. Together, the couple run their own production company, which is behind Doc Martin and various other shows.
It makes for a busy life and Martin admits that retirement is a subject the couple have discussed. ‘We talk about it in the abstract –
a sort of five-year plan. We haven’t started it yet, but
I’ve had the busiest year of my life this year, so it could be tomorrow!’ he laughs.
‘I’m really lucky to get to do what I do and the natural order of these things is that the requests stop coming, so they’ll put me down before I jump!’
‘the perfect antidote to work is having that space in front of me, instead of the camera’