Actors and Actresses

British Actors You Should Know: Martin Clunes

Janet Mullany

03 Jul 2023 — 5 min read

Martin Clunes was born into a theatrical family, the son of Shakespearean stage actor Alec Clunes and related to Jeremy Brett (Sherlock Holmes). He attended the Royal Russell School in Surrey and the Arts Educational School in Chiswick, London. His acting career began in repertory, followed by many British sitcoms and comedy series, some of which are so rude we can’t include clips here. Possessed of unusual looks — allegedly, Jeremy Brett offered to pay for corrective ear surgery, which he declined — he has an extraordinarily expressive face and great physical presence. As Rachel Shields cooed in The Independent in 2010:

Plasticine-faced, jug-eared and ... so sexy.

His career has branched into directing and documentaries; he’s married to producer Philippa Braithwaite with whom he’s collaborated on many projects, including Doc Martin. He has high praise for his co-star Caroline Catz:

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