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While audiences face the agonizingly slow anticipation for the upcoming series of Line of Duty, which commences filming in January, actor Martin Compston will be seen in several different projects. Viewers will spot him in two unexpected roles and also in the beloved form of a brisk and reserved hero in Red Eye.

A Surprise Turn in The Revenge Club

First up is The Revenge Club, where Compston offers a revelatory turn. The story involves a support group for the recently divorced, a ragtag group brought together purely by their mutual situation of being left. “There is no other reason for these individuals to be in each other’s orbit,” Compston observes. “They’re all lonely and in desperate need of friendship. They’re all, in their own ways, broken, which makes for this explosive dynamic.”

“If you possess an passion about what you’re doing and enthusiasm for what you’re doing, the audience will be with you.”

Although this may sound miserable, the show is far from it – even scenes in a beat-up community centre are heightened. The deeds of revenge, undertaken by the entire group, start off relatively mild before turning into more serious territory. The series at first brings to mind other shows but quickly carves out its own unique space. “It exists in its own category,” he says. “It goes from intense scenes into a sort of heist. You believe you’re going down one path, then you’re not.”

Stepping Outside the Usual Role

Two surprising things emerge about Compston's role in this show. The first is that he's playing for laughs, a change for him. “It was outside my comfort zone,” reveals Compston. Another development is his role as the central romantic figure, a major fork in the road from his usually troubled fictional relationships. He and his co-star exhibit a wonderful screwball energy.

“This is one of the things I appreciate about the series,” he adds. “We aren't just good guys who have been wronged. Our exes may be people who’ve progressed with their lives. All of us have gone down this rabbit hole because we had nothing to cling on to, and then we have this group.”

A Tour of Las Vegas

Perhaps more unexpected is the off-screen Compston featured in the forthcoming travelogue Living Las Vegas. Having wed American actor Tianna Chanel Flynn almost a decade ago, he splits his time between Greenock and Nevada. The show features him navigating his second home city, meeting characters from a vintage shop owner to horse riding instructors. It offers a cute and intentionally non-political glimpse of daily life.

“Many of people exist on social media,” he notes, tactfully. “I’m not oblivious of the challenges out there, but we reside on a lovely street, we’ve got nice neighbours... we’re all just living our lives.” He states his personal ideological views but adds that, as a resident, he generally tries to remain private in an increasingly divisive public space.

The Comeback of a Cultural Touchstone

The recent announcement of Line of Duty's new series has fueled enormous interest. The drama achieved historic audiences for its last season end. “The 9 o’clock time, whether it be on a Sunday night or over the holidays, it’s gold dust,” Compston says. “There's a feeling like you’ve got the country in the palm of your hand if you’ve got something compelling to show them.”

He notes that the figure of Supt Ted Hastings, played by Adrian Dunbar, has resonated profoundly with the British public. “He’s become the country's father figure. A person who wants to do good. People want to root for the good guys, and know there are good guys out there.”

New Horizons

In the meantime, Compston returns to action-packed drama territory in the second season of Red Eye, drawing on the charismatic energy viewers love him for. Beyond acting, he is also moving into behind-the-scenes roles. “There's that deep-seated guilt, you feel you need to do something,” he jokes of his motivation.

He describes one passion project, a historical drama about Allan Pinkerton, a Scottish figure who created the Pinkerton detective agency in America. “He started the secret service, worked on the Underground Railroad... had an extraordinary life. This little guy from the Gorbals.” It seems like a project uniquely tailored for an actor associated with playing driven individuals.

The Revenge Club is available now on Paramount+; Red Eye airs on ITV1 on New Year’s Day.