Martin Compston was born on 8 May 1984 in Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland. He grew up in a Catholic family with his parents Jim Compston and Liz Compston and his older brother Barry.

Before acting, Compston pursued football. As a teenager he played for Greenock Morton F.C., making two professional appearances during the 2001–2002 season before leaving the sport to pursue other opportunities.

His acting career began unexpectedly in 2002 when he successfully auditioned for the lead role in the film Sweet Sixteen, directed by Ken Loach. The performance earned him the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer and launched his career in film and television.

Compston later became widely known for playing DI Steve Arnott in the BBC police drama Line of Duty. Alongside acting, he also hosts travel and entertainment programmes including Martin Compston’s Scottish Fling, which airs on BBC Scotland and BBC Two.

He currently divides his time between Scotland and Las Vegas with his wife, Tianna and son while continuing to act and present television programmes.