Gregory Paul Martin
| Gregory Paul Martin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 21 January 1957 |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | St Albans School, Hertfordshire |
| Occupation | Writer; television, film and stage actor |
Gregory Paul Martin (born 21 January 1957)[1] is a British writer/producer and actor of stage, film and television. He is the eldest son of Beatles producer Sir George Martin and the half-brother of the music producer Giles Martin.[2]
Early life
The son of Sir George Martin and his first wife, Sheena (née Chisholm), Gregory Martin attended Britain's St Albans School and trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, studying alongside Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman.[3]
Career
Theatre
Martin's acting roles in the British theater include the world premiere of Bent (1979), at The Royal Court in London with Sir Ian McKellen,[4] a season at the Bristol Old Vic, and seasons at London's Old Vic and Young Vic theaters. His American theater credits include the title roles in Hamlet and Peer Gynt at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, as well as the American premier of Harold Pinter's Other Places, at The Manhattan Theater Club in New York City.
Television
Martin appeared opposite Faye Dunaway, Liam Neeson, and Richard Burton in the 1984 CBS mini-series Ellis Island.[5] He made appearances in a number of television series of the 1980s-1990s, including Murder, She Wrote, Sliders, Babylon 5, and Mad About You.[6]
Film
Martin appeared in the movie Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), alongside Chevy Chase and Daryl Hannah, and A Walk in the Clouds, opposite Keanu Reeves and Anthony Quinn.[6]
Writing
In recent years, Martin has focused on script writing. His personal website says he sold a script for a movie called Tsunami, optioned as an ABC miniseries, and a script for a movie called Ice as a sci-fi action thriller set in Antarctica. In 1998 Martin returned for a brief period to England and started a film and television production company, according to his website.[3]
After receiving poor treatment from the British tabloid press, he left England again, determined not to return.[3] In 2000, he published a satirical memoir, Dirty Rotten Scoundrel, which was based in part on his treatment in the tabloids. In describing this work, Martin says:
- "I wrote this book as a satire of an ugly image foisted on me by the British tabloids during the summer of 1999, and was never intended to be taken seriously. I take it as an oddly flattering compliment people assumed the character was really me."[7]
A Guardian review of the book, which apparently did take it straight rather than as satire, says his reputation in the UK was badly damaged with a failed engagement to a socialite in 1999 that became tabloid fodder. The Guardian says of his book:
- "A diary of his years at Rada and in the film and TV business in the US (among other things, he starred in Ellis Island, and co-starred in Ellen) as well as the events of last year, it is full of 'birds' and 'horny little slappers', of 'sexy young blueblood vixens', and 'gorgeous, sweet, hot-as-a-chilli-pepper-ridden-chicken-vindaloo beauties.'"[8]
After returning to the US, Martin resumed script writing and also got involved in advertising and brand marketing, according to his website.[3]
Personal life and family
After his move to Hollywood during the 1980s, Martin married, and he and his wife had a son, Connor. The marriage ended in divorce. He is currently married to Cherie Martin.[9]
Filmography
- A Walk in the Clouds - Armistead Knox
- Ellen - Roger
- SeaQuest DSV - Marcus Rawlings
- Babylon 5 episode "Eyes" (1994) - Colonel Ari Ben Zayn
- Mad About You - Andrew
- Empty Nest - Ian
- Memoirs of an Invisible Man - Richard
- Murder, She Wrote - Danny Briggs
- Sliders - Gareth
- Ellis Island - Marco Santorelli
References
- ↑ His own book 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrel', pg. 2, holds date and time of birth. A later reference in the same book, of 21 January 2000, states that he is 43 years old on that date. The book by Mark Lewisohn 'Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years' mentions his birth in January 1957. Data snippets of both books are found at Astrodatabank.
- ↑ Mark Espiner (29 June 2001). "Sounds and vision". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 "Biography - Gregory Paul Martin", gregorypaulmartin.com; retrieved 9 December 2012.
- ↑ "Bent at the Royal Court Theater". Retrieved 7 December 2012.
- ↑ "Ellis Island (TV mini-series 1984– )", IMDb.com, 2011; accessed 9 February 2012.
- 1 2 "Gregory Paul Martin IMDb profile". Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ↑ Dirty Rotten Scoundrel, amazon.com; accessed 24 May 2015.
- ↑ "Confessions of a Cad: Greg Martin", Sabine Durrant, The Guardian (UK), 26 March 2000.
- ↑ "Astroaria profile". Retrieved 16 August 2014.