Martin Compston needed a break after Our House

Martin Compston "needed a break" after filming 'Our House'.

The 37-year-old actor portrays Bram Lawson, whose marriage ends when he cheats on his wife Fi (Tuppence Middleton) with a neighbour, in the new drama series and he admitted it was one of the most "intense" shoots he had been involved in and the emotional material left him feeling drained.

He told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “'Our House' by far, acting-wise, took the most out of me.

“It was unique to see a drama based around family and marriage that was exciting on those terms. There were a couple of proper cliffhangers there.

“I came straight from filming 'The Rig'. I’d read the scripts and loved them – you realise this guy’s life is falling apart. It was a tough role. He’s a guy with a self-destruct button but he also has some redeeming features.

“In essence he is a good guy, loves his kids. But I don’t think he appreciates what he’s got until it’s too late. He seems like somebody who wants to inject a bit of chaos into his life as soon as things are going too well.

“It was such an emotional ride, just when you see what Bram goes through. That made it so intense.

“When we finished I said I needed a bit of a break, so we wrapped in October and just went away and were a family for a while. I’m under no illusions how lucky I am to have been able to do that, but it was what I needed.”

Martin is "so grateful" for his success and is "really proud" when things go well, but admitted he used to fear his breakthrough role as Liam in 'Sweet Sixteen' 20 years ago was a "weight around his] neck" because he was always associated with the character.

He said: “I feel massively nostalgic. I owe those guys absolutely everything for taking a chance on me and giving me that opportunity.

“It was a weight around my neck at the time. Everyone thought I was that kid. Doing 'Monarch of the Glen' was a very conscious choice because it was so different to 'Sweet Sixteen'.

“Now I’ve grown older, where things go well, like Line of Duty, I’m just really proud. When you see the sort of numbers [viewing figures] involved in that kind of stuff it can’t not make you proud. I am so grateful for it. I’ve been very lucky over last 20 years to dip my toe into the independent cinema and TV world and it’s gratifying when you do stuff that goes to a big audience.

“Especially in these times, it’s great to give people a bit of escapism to take their mind off what seems like a never-ending miserable news cycle.”