Stuart Martin is back on our screens tonight in the gritty drama In Flight but away from the world of TV, he has a happy family with an actress who starred in Rivals last year
Stuart Martin is back on our screens tonight in the gritty drama In Flight. The actor, 39, stars as menacing gang leader Cormac in the new Channel 4 drama, who coerces flight attendant Jo Conran (Katherine Kelly) into using her job to repeatedly struggle drugs, in order to save the life of her son, who is currently behind bars for a murder he claims he did not commit.
The TV star has actually been something of a mainstay on screens for well over a decade, having initially played guest roles in shows such as Taggart in 2009 and a handful of episodes of the now-defunct Scottish soap River City. In 2014, he starred as Lannister Soldier in an episode of the HBO series Game of Thrones and then landed the more regular role of PC Tony Forbes in Babylon.
From 2017 until 2019, he appeared in all 24 episodes of Jamestown as Silas Sharrow, and then landed what is possibly his most famous role as Detective Inspector William Wellington on Miss Scarlett and the Duke. He played this part from 2020 until 2024, at which point the series continued on without him. On film, he has starred in both instalments of the space opera franchise Rebel Moon alongside the likes of Djimon Hounsou and Sofia Boutella.
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But away from his life on screen, Stuart is married to actress Lisa McGrillis. They celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary together, and are parents to Josh, eight, as well as four-year-old Cleo. Lisa has also starred in a number of television favourites, having first risen to prominence with her role as Vicki Pearson on the sitcom Hebburn alongside Chris Ramsey. Following that, she achieved further acclaim for her role as Sergeant Rachel Coles on Inspector George Gently, and was seen on the BBC drama series from 2014 until 2017.
Since 2022, she has held the main role of Courtney on Avoidance, but last year she starred as Valerie Jones on the smash-hit Disney+ comedy drama that was based on the book by Jilly Cooper and also featured the likes of Emily Atack, Danny Dyer and David Tennant. Lisa met her husband at the National Theatre’s bar more than a decade ago, but admitted that she became a ‘nervous wreck’ when their first child came along. She told The Sunday Post: “I was so busy for the first seven or eight months of my son’s life and by the end I was a nervous wreck, so jittery and tired. The two things don’t align – family life and filming. I look in the mirror and I’ve gone from looking like a spring chicken five years ago to a shrivelled old shoe.”
The couple often wow followers with their social media presence as they attend glamorous showbiz events together. In 2023, when Stuart starred in Rebel Moon, Lisa took to Instagram to write: “What a feast for your eyes, very proud of my action hero husband,” and emblazoned her gushing post with several heart emojis. More recently, the couple attended the Mediterrane Film Festival together, and shared a loved-up picture from the red carpet.
Lisa captioned that post: “Thank you for the most beautiful evening celebrating film and the rich culture of Malta, what a stunning evening that was.” And the post did not go unnoticed by their celebrity friends, as her Rivals co-star Emily Atack wrote: “I can’t quite handle how ft you both are,” whilst Emmerdale actress Chelsea Halfpenny simply wrote: “Hotties,” and left behind a heart emoji to boot.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Stuart admitted that a lot of work ‘suddenly went off the table’ as the pandemic took hold but even though he thought it was a ‘worrying and upsetting time for everyone’ in his industry, but found comfort in being able to spend time with his family. He told the Scotsman at the time: “Usually you’re going ‘right, up in the morning, got to do this!, and you’re distracted. Now, you’re really spending that time with each other. And the community stuff that’s coming out of it is lovely. There could definitely be a re-set for us all after this.”
At the same time, he admitted: “I’d have to say my wife and lad. But if I can have another? Actually no, I’m not sure I could live locked in a house for two months with anyone else. Or they could live with me. I’ll stick with my lockdowns. I wouldn’t inflict that on anyone, alive or dead.”
In Flight comprises six hour-long episodes, with the first set to air on Channel 4 on Tuesday, 12 August at 9pm. For viewers so taken in by the series, all episodes are available to view on the online streaming service on Tuesday or if episodes will be broadcast weekly on the channel.
Alongside Katherine, who is perhaps best known for her portrayal of diamond-in-the-rough Becky Granger on Coronation Street but has starred in a string of dramas since them, Stuart also features alongside Ashley Thomas, also known by his stage name Bashy. He plays will play customs officer Dom Delaney, Jo’s ex, in the thrilling drama.
Some might recognise Ashley as Jermaine Newton from Top Boy. His acting credits include appearances in Black Mirror, Great Expectations, and The Serpent Queen.
Completing the In Flight ensemble are Bronagh Waugh playing Melanie, Harry Cadby as Sonny, Corinna Brown portraying Kayla, and Ambreen Razia in the role of Zara.
In Flight starts airing on Channel 4 on Tuesday, August 12 at 9pm.
