Stuart Martin: "My wife thinks I'm a weirdo"

Like everyone in the world, Stuart Martin is working his way into lockdown life.

The good part? He gets to spend time with his three-year-old son. 

The bad part? See above. 

(We think the latter answer may have been tongue-in-cheek. Although members of the Square Mile team with young children are taking him fully at face value.) 

For those of us yearning for a beer garden – so, everyone – Martin makes a great prediction on the pub atmosphere post-lockdown... 

"Every time someone walks in the door, it’ll be like that moment in a western when the shooter walks in the saloon doors. Everyone turns, silent and suspicious."

We'll take our chances. Until then, stay safe – and be sure to check out new crime drama Miss Scarlet and the Duke. It looks exactly the type of real rip-roaring fare to get you through the evenings.

Maybe best to put the kids to bed first, though... 

My life...

What upcoming project(s) are you most excited about?

I'm really buzzing about Miss Scarlet and the Duke. I love the show and I'm excited for people to see it and see what they think. It's masterfully written by Rachael New and beautifully directed with a real cool edge by Declan O'Dwyer. Kate Phillips is amazing as Eliza Scarlet, London's first female detective.

I'm also really excited about the film adaptation of the Dampyr comic books I filmed last year. It was a lot of fun. A gritty graphic novel movie with some very cool action.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment?

I think just managing to do a job I love and to keep getting to do jobs I love. And to make a living doing it. It's never boring.

When I was a kid I used to watch films and dream of being in them. It looked like a great job to have. To get to do what I dreamed of doing as a wee boy is an an incredibly lucky thing to do. Of course that can all change very quickly in our game, I may never work again! But I feel proud that I've got to do what I wanted to do when I was a lanky, freckly wee kid. Even if that ends tomorrow.

If you could change one thing about your career, what would it be?

I don't think anything. Yet! Ive been really incredibly lucky with the projects I've got to do. Incredibly lucky. Each one has felt different when I've been working on it to the last. The filming of each has felt better than the one before. All have been totally different and brilliant experiences in their own way. So I've been lucky to not have that thing of looking back wishing i was working on something I'd done in the past.

In our job you're always going up for things that you really want and can see could be career changing jobs but of course most of the time you don't get them. That stings a bit but I'm a big believer in, what's for you won't go by you. And if you didn't get a job you really wanted, as long as you worked your ass off for it and did everything you could, then it wasn't for you and something else better will pop up. It may be six months down the line, but as long as you keep grafting the right job will land.

I also really love that four or five months at home, and wouldn't change that for the world. Working from home and auditioning and meeting. When you get a job it rightly becomes all consuming. You don't have time for anything else. Just job and family, job and family. So that time when you're not working is your time to recharge with the family and mates and life and not think about playing someone else. I love that balance and have been lucky to not work all the time to be able to have it.

I guess I'm saying it's great when you don't get jobs sometimes, even when it stings a bit at the time. Every cloud.

What do you hope to achieve that you haven’t yet?

I think as I get older I'm chilling out a lot more. Twenties was all about getting as much done as I could and feeling guilty if I wasn't doing it. All while trying to get as pissed as possible. I sort of buzzed off that feeling of stress as a driver to do as much as I could, taking loads on. Eight coffees a day, stay up late, blitz lines, pints, see mates, get up early, blitz lines. Do as much as you can.

When I got into my thirties i realised that our brains just aren't meant to work like that, and mine certainly doesn't. Realising the benefits of sleep, and less of the stress as the driving force, less fight and trying to force your mind to work. More time management and giving each thing in my life, whether it's family, or work or friends, more time.

What I'd love to achieve is just doing more jobs that I get passionately excited about. Trying to do projects and roles that feel different to the last so I don't get bored or complacent. 

Outside of your family, who is / was your biggest inspiration?

I fucking love Billy Connelly, he has become a real hero of mine. His outlook on life is incredible. For all his years and wisdom and experience he still looks at the world with such a fresh joy and passion.

We used to watch his stand up as kids and cry with laughter but watching his documentaries that he's done recently you see the buzz he gets from everything he sees. The people he meets. He has a really open, non judgemental way of looking at things, and the world, and people. And a love of funny that just spills out his mind. Watch Billy Connelly Made in Scotland if you can, it's brilliant.

Tell us something nobody knows about you…

I'm not a big fan of a condiment. Tommy sauce, mayo, burger relish. My wife thinks I'm a weirdo.

My Lockdown...

How are you finding lockdown?

It’s a bit of a mad one ay? I think made easier by the fact that we’re all in it together. Everyone. All over the world. No matter what age you are, how much money you’ve got or don’t have. No matter what country you live in. We just have to accept this is it for a while. And because everyone’s doing it and we’ve seen what’s come before everyone in this country seems to be doing Amazing how a country and a world can come together like that.

We’ve got a three year old to keep us busy so there’s not much time to stop and think about anything else luckily. We’re certainly never bored. We’re very lucky to have food and heating and live in a house all together and I feel incredibly grateful for that every day.

It’s going to be tough for a lot of people, devastating, and I just hope the support is there for those that need it. People are really coming together and seeing what they can do to help and that is what’s going to save lives way after this things passed. Let’s hope it continues.

Best thing about lockdown?

Having a three year old to keep you entertained 13 hours a day. It's an amazing time just to be at home with the family and not rushing off to work or nursery or someone’s house. Or on your phone. You very quickly become very present, which, in the way we live now, we sometimes forget to do. I’ve loved just playing for hours with my wee lad and getting lost in stories and games.

Again, I’m so lucky to have that time. While the heroes who are working for the NHS and the heroes keeping the country running with food and deliveries are working overtime, in danger, away from their families. It’s a special time for family if you’re lucky enough to be locked in with them.

Worst thing about lockdown?

Being locked in with a three year old.

Top tip for surviving lockdown?

Alcohol. And not beating yourself up about not getting stuff done.

If you wake up thinking I’ve got all these things I should be doing with all this time, then as the day goes on you can’t be arsed, that’s ok. But also if you do write a bit of that script or do that 30 minute workout, or 8 minutes of it, or learn to play the spoons then well done. But if you decide to just have a long lie and watch an hour of telly before you pick up the laptop to start work, do it.

I think we’re going to be in this for a while so we’ve got to keep it fresh and not repeat the same daily patterns or we’ll all go mad. Each day as it comes. But that’s just me.

If you could be locked down with one person, alive or dead, who would it be?

I’d have to say my wife and lad. But if I can have another? Actually no, I’m not sure I could live locked in a house for two months with anyone else. Or they could live with me. I’ll stick with my lockdowns. I wouldn’t inflict that on anyone, alive or dead.

What are you most looking forward to doing once lockdown is over?

Jesus, I don’t know. Everything. Being able to go on holiday again. Just walking down the street. Being able to go to the pub.

Pub's going to be weird. I reckon everyone will keep social distancing at the bar, feeling like they shouldn’t be there. Every time someone walks in the door it’ll be like that moment in a western when the shooter walks in the saloon doors. Everyone turns, silent and suspicious. It’s going to be so weird after not standing closer than seven feet from someone for two months to then be thrust back onto a packed tube or a pub.

A hug with my mum and dad. Me and my wife were saying the other night, how weird is it you won’t have hugged anyone else apart from the people you live with for two months? There’s going to be a massive hug fest after all this is over. If we’re allowed.

Miss Scarlet and the Duke starts Tuesday 31 March, 9pm on Alibi