- Martin Clunes
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Martin Clunes 
Clunes on location for Doc Martin in 2007.Born Alexander Martin Clunes
28 November 1961
Wimbledon, South West
London, EnglandEducation Royal Russell School
The Arts Educational SchoolsOccupation Actor, comedian, broadcaster, film director, musician, television personality Years active 1982–present Spouse Lucy Aston (1990–97, divorced)
Philippa Braithwaite (1997–present)Children Emily Clunes Alexander Martin Clunes (born 28 November 1961) is an English actor and comedian. Clunes is perhaps best known for his roles as Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly, Doctor Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin and the title character in Reggie Perrin.
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Early life
Clunes is the son of the classical actor Alec Clunes, who died of lung cancer when Clunes was eight and a half years old. He has an older sister, Amanda.[1] His mother Daphne, later a board member of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, once worked for Orson Welles.[2] Clunes was educated at two independent secondary schools, the Royal Russell School in Croydon and The Arts Educational Schools, in Chiswick, London.[citation needed]
Career
Clunes served his first role in rep at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester,[3] and his first television appearance came in the 1980s Doctor Who story Snakedance as the spoiled Lon.[3] 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.[citation needed]
He got his first regular television role as one of the sons in the BBC sitcom No Place Like Home,[4] and then starred in two series of the sitcom All at No 20.[5]
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.[citation needed] Enfield then recommended Clunes for the role of Gary in the sitcom Men Behaving Badly,[citation needed] written for Enfield by Simon Nye, bringing Clunes his best-known role to date and for which he won a BAFTA television award in 1996.[citation needed] He played the part of Group Captain Barker in the 2-part TV mini-series Over Here that same year.
He has since appeared in films and television shows such as An Evening With Gary Lineker,[citation needed] Staggered (starred and directed),[citation needed] 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 Oscar-winning 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, he played serial killer John George Haigh in A Is for Acid, and took the lead in ITV's production of Goodbye Mr Chips.[6]
Clunes was one of the eponymous leads in the 2004 ITV romantic comedy-drama William and Mary, which ran for three series, with Julie Graham. Clunes had worked with Julie Graham previously on Dirty Tricks (2000).[7]
Clunes on location for Doc Martin in 2007
His leading role in the ITV comedy drama series Doc Martin from 2004[8] marked a successful change of direction for Clunes. In 2005, his portrayal of the ornery vascular surgeon turned cranky general practitioner won him a nomination for Most Popular Actor in the National Television Awards. The show is produced for ITV by Buffalo Pictures Ltd.[9] the production company he runs in partnership with his wife, Philippa Braithwaite. At the media launch for the third series of Doc Martin in September 2007, Clunes announced that as ITV had not yet commissioned a fourth series, that he planned to take a year's break from work to relax and rediscover his passion for acting, move to the far side of the camera and plans to grow his hair again as he "misses his locks.".[10] The final episode of Series 3 succeeded in attracting nearly 10 million viewers or 40% of audience share.[11] There was, however, mixed reaction from fans to Series 3's dénouement.[12][13][14] In an interview in November 2007 on ITV's GMTV, he promised that there would be a fourth series but not for another year (2009).[15] The fourth series of Doc Martin was broadcast in 2009 and a fifth series commenced broadcasting in September 2011.
In August 2007 he starred in ITV's The Man Who Lost His Head.[16]
Clunes is a regular voice over artist and is the voice of Kipper in the animated children's series Kipper the Dog.
A sponsor of numerous charities, he has made a short online film with Stephen Fry about HIV discrimination for the Terrence Higgins Trust.[17] He also, in October 2007, filmed a Christmas advert for the Born Free Foundation. He has been involved in Comic Relief which funds Survival International and African Initiatives, two organisations working with the Maasai on indigenous land rights issues.[18]
Clunes also appeared in a television dramatisation of Fungus the Bogeyman playing Jessica White's father.
On 9 November 2007 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Bournemouth University.[19]
In January 2008, ITV announced its forthcoming sponsorship opportunities for Autumn 2008, which included Martin Clunes: a man and his dogs, a documentary that sees Martin Clunes charting the family tree of his dogs.[20] There will be a book to accompany this programme, for which Clunes hopes to take the photographs.[21]
From 24 April 2009, 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 the same year he appeared in a 3 part ITV series Islands of Britain in which he travelled around several of the country's lesser known islands.
Clunes guest-hosted the comedy panel game show Have I Got News for You in 2010.
In 2011, Clunes voiced the mischievous dog Dudley in the short film Me or the Dog, starring Edward Hogg and directed by Abner Pastoll. The short is about a man who thinks that his dog is talking to him, only to realise that he in fact has schizophrenia.
Personal life
Clunes' first marriage was to the actress Lucy Aston.[citation needed] They divorced in 1997 and Clunes married television producer Philippa Braithwaite that same year.[22][23] In 1999, Braithwaite gave birth to their daughter, Emily.[24][25] Clunes lives with his family in Beaminster, Dorset.[26] In 2010, Clunes was named president of the Royal International Horse Show, held annually at the All England Jumping Course, Hickstead. He was also named President of the British Horse Society from 1 June 2011.[27]
Clunes is one of the Patrons of Honour for Dorset-based Children's Hospice, Julia's House.[citation needed] Clunes also supports Weldmar Hospicecare Trust in Dorset.[28] In January 2011, Clunes also became Patron of Animal Care in Egypt - a charity veterinary hospital for working animals in Luxor, Egypt.[29]
Awards
- 1995 – British Comedy Awards, Top TV Comedy Actor : Men Behaving Badly – Gary Strang
- 1996 – BAFTA Awards, Best Comedy Performance : Men Behaving Badly – Gary Strang
- 1999 – Screen Actors Guild Awards, Outstanding Performance by a Cast : Shakespeare in Love – Richard Burbage
- 2007 - Honorary Doctorate from Bournemouth University
References
- ^ Chips Off The Old Bloke; He made his name behaving badly – Page1 Sunday Herald – 15 December 2002
- ^ Celebrity interview: Martin Clunes – Page3 SouthwestTrains.com
- ^ a b Between The Sheets – No More Mr Nice Guy National Theatre
- ^ Martin Clunes Playlist itv.com
- ^ TV.com – All at No 20 cast list
- ^ Chips Off The Old Bloke; He made his name behaving badly – Page3 Sunday Herald – 15 December 2002
- ^ Dirty Tricks (2000) (TV)
- ^ "Doc Martin" (2004) – Episode list
- ^ Buffalo Pictures [gb]
- ^ The Life of Wylie: Martin Clunes Takes A Break
- ^ Holmwood, Leigh (6 November 2007). "Doc Martin goes out with a bang". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/nov/06/tvratings.television?gusrc=rss&feed=media. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ Star Letter, Radio Times, [13th] November, 2007.
- ^ Doc Martin – Page 56 – TV Programmes – Digital Spy Forums
- ^ Amazon.co.uk: Reviews for Doc Martin – Series 3 – Complete: Joe Absolom, Lucy Punch, Carol Catz, Stephanie Cole, Martin Clunes, Ian McNeice, Minkie Spiro, Ben Bolt: DVD
- ^ GMTV interview with Martin Clunes, November 2007.
- ^ "A close encounter with Martin Clunes". The Sunday Star-Times. 28 August 2007. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4181546a1869.html. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^ Terrence Higgins Trust – Gloves Off – Video – Stephen Fry and Martin Clunes – The Scale of Mimsy
- ^ "Celeb appeal". developments magazine. http://www.developments.org.uk/articles/celeb-appeal/. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
- ^ "'Doc Martin' awarded a doctorate". BBC News. 9 November 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/7087967.stm. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ ITV Media – ITV inside out
- ^ Memorable Tv: Martin Clunes On Doc Martin
- ^ Telly talk: Clunes enjoys affairs of the heart – Film and tv – Entertainment – Manchester Evening News
- ^ In a taxi with Martin Clunes; The former onscreen lad is now a doting dad – and his schedule is still as hectic. – The Evening Standard (London, UK) – HighBeam Research
- ^ Chloe Scott-Moncrieff in coversation with… Martin Clunes.(Interview) Geographical, April, 2005 by Scott-Moncrieff, Chloe
- ^ Celebrity interview: Martin Clunes – Page2 SouthwestTrains.com
- ^ Around Dorset: Martin Clunes BBC Dorset – 11 October 2004
- ^ Martin Clunes to be next BHS President BHS
- ^ Weldmar Hospicecare Trust web site
- ^ Animal Care in Egypt web site
External links
Categories:- 1961 births
- Living people
- People educated at the Arts Educational Schools
- English television actors
- English voice actors
- BAFTA winners (people)
- English comedians
- English musicians
- Actors from London
- People from Wimbledon, London
- English television presenters
- English television personalities
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- People educated at Royal Russell School
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