Martin Clunes
Martin Clunes
Alexander Martin Clunes, OBEis an English actor. He is best known for portraying Martin Ellingham in the ITV drama series Doc Martin and Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly. Clunes has narrated a number of documentaries for ITV, the first of which was Islands of Britain in 2009. He has since presented a number of documentaries centred on animals. He has also voiced Kipper the Dog in the animated series, Kipper...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth28 November 1961
CityLondon, England
Unlike my mother, who was unashamedly delighted when I decided to become an actor, I always feel that my father, had he lived longer, might have been a touch disapproving of some of my career - I think he might have tutted a bit at 'Men Behaving Badly.'
What I do know is that I love the whole idea of family, even the word itself.
In a way, making Martin Ellingham the way he is was a corrective exercise for my acting - to keep a bit still and show a little control. I do like it - it's like having an instrument that you can play and that you can pick up and enjoy playing.
As first and foremost a character actor, I've always resisted the temptation to cure any of the people I've played or make them lovable in any way; you've just got to celebrate them for what they are.
They're so generous, the American fans. They send money to the various charities I support. I tried to raise a little bit of money to send to Nepal, and they were straight in with thousands of dollars.
It's so fantastic that Prince William has championed African wildlife. He's putting his back into it - and one thing the royal family is brilliant at is getting people to cough up.
For me, family feels like a web of love and care, and instinctively, too, I do just like nurturing things.
Really, for an actor, it's all about remembering a lot of stuff - and keeping the moustache on.
An awful lot of people have childhood memories of holidays in Cornwall, and the holidays are old-fashioned and hugely successful. You stick a child and a dog on one of the beaches, and they just light up; they just love it.
The idea of being a young 50 sounds like you're trying to kid yourself, like a Harley-Davidson or something. I've bought a dressage horse instead.
My horses make very silly faces when I'm preparing their meals.
Do I suffer for my art? Well, I get a lot of flatulence when I'm nervous.
The main trouble with women is that they will just not put the seat back up again.