Martin Clunes

Biography: An English actor and comedian. Clunes is perhaps best known for his roles as Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly, Doctor Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin and the title character in Reggie Perrin.

Clunes is the son of the classical actor Alec Clunes, who died of lung cancer when Clunes was eight and a half years old. He has an older sister, Amanda. His mother Daphne, later a board member of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, once worked for Orson Welles. Clunes attended nursery with screenwriter Peter Morgan, and was educated at two independent secondary schools, the Royal Russell School in Croydon and The Arts Educational Schools, in Chiswick, London.

Actor Jeremy Brett, who portrayed Sherlock Holmes in the long running ITV show The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, encouraged Clunes in his acting career. Clunes?s mother was Brett?s first cousin.

Clunes served his first role in rep at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, and his first television appearance came in the 1980s Doctor Who story Snakedance as the spoiled Lon. But a sporadic career led to his supplementing his income as a photo model for Gilbert and George, and he can be seen in their 1983 work World.

He got his first regular television role as one of the sons in the BBC sitcom No Place Like Home, and then starred in two series of the sitcom All at No 20.

While Clunes was appearing on stage at the Hampstead Theatre, Harry Enfield came to see him; the acquaintanceship developed into a friendship where Clunes played characters in Enfield?s sketch shows. Enfield then recommended Clunes for the role of Gary in the sitcom Men Behaving Badly, written for Enfield by Simon Nye, bringing Clunes his best-known role to date and for which he won a BAFTA television award in 1996. He played the part of Group Captain Barker in the 2-part TV mini-series Over Here that same year.

Establishing himself, he has since appeared in films and television shows such as An Evening With Gary Lineker, Staggered (starred and directed), Hunting Venus, The Booze Cruise, Saving Grace, and Jeeves and Wooster. In 1998, he was featured in Sweet Revenge and appeared as Richard Burbage in the Oscar-winning film Shakespeare in Love. Clunes has also acted frequently for the radio, including a guest appearance in the BBC Radio 4 series Baldi.

Clunes is a friend of rock singer Gary Numan who appeared in his movie Hunting Venus. Afterwards Clunes made a guest appearance live on stage with Numan and played bass to the hit single "Cars".

Clunes? first marriage was to the actress Lucy Aston. They divorced in 1997 and Clunes married television producer Philippa Braithwaite that same year. In 1999, Braithwaite gave birth to their daughter, Emily. Clunes lives with his family in Beaminster, Dorset. He is an equestrian enthusiast, keeping horses of his own. In 2010, Clunes was named president of the Royal International Horse Show, held annually at the All England Jumping Course, Hickstead. He was also named President of the British Horse Society from 1 June 2011.

Clunes is one of the Patrons of Honour for Dorset-based Children?s Hospice, Julia?s House, along with Tottenham Hotspur boss, Harry Redknapp