Anna Maxwell Martin

Acting

Anna Maxwell Martin

Born

1977-05-10 (49)

Place of birth

Beverley, Yorkshire, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

73 titles

Anna Maxwell Martin (born Anna Charlotte Martin; 10 May 1977), sometimes credited as Anna Maxwell-Martin, is an English actress. She won two British Academy Television Awards, for her portrayals of Esther Summerson in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House (2005) and N in the Channel 4 adaptation of Poppy Shakespeare (2008). She is also known for her roles as DCS Patricia Carmichael in BBC One crime drama Line of Duty (2019–2021) and Kelly Major in Code 404 (2020–2022). From 2016-2022, Martin starred in the BBC comedy Motherland, for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance. Martin's theatre work includes the role of Lyra Belacqua in the production of His Da…

Known for

Film credits

2020s · 12 titles

Heartstopper Forever poster
7.2

It's a new school year for the Truham-Higgs gang. As Nick and Charlie's relationship deepens, their thoughts turn to life after the last bell rings.

Heartstopper Forever

2026

Fackham Hall poster
6.6

A new servant embarks on an unlikely relationship with the youngest daughter of a prominent English family. Simultaneously, rivalries are spilling over in the Davenport family, led by the Lord and Lady as they also weather the epic failure of the wedding of their eldest daughter to her caddish cousin.

Fackham Hall

2025

The Duke poster
6.9

In 1961, a 60-year-old taxi driver steals Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history. What happens next becomes the stuff of legend.

The Duke

2021

Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell poster
7.5

An uplifting and touching documentary special which tells the story of one of Britain's best loved sitcoms as it comes to an end after 17 years. Featuring unprecedented access to creators James Corden and Ruth Jones as well as the cast and crew, including filming the final episode as they all say goodbye to the much-cherished show.

Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell

2025

Say Your Prayers poster
7.4

Two orphaned brothers turned radical Christian hitmen venture to rural Ilkley under the instruction of Father Enoch. Their mission: assassinate the famed atheist writer Professor John Huxley.

Say Your Prayers

2021

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale poster
NR

It’s five years since Nessa declared her love for Smithy – and a lot has happened since. Journey to Barry and Billericay to catch up with the gang for the very last time.

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale

2024

On the Edge poster
NR

Donnie, a cynical but lovable Cuban solenodon, takes on an outrageous mission: to avoid extinction by rebranding himself as a panda — one of the world’s most beloved endangered species. Alongside an eccentric band of equally overlooked animals, Donnie’s wild journey evolves into a heist-fueled, action-packed tale of identity, belonging and survival.

On the Edge

2027

National Theatre Live: Constellations poster
10.0

A quantum physicist and a beekeeper meet at a barbeque. They hit it off, or perhaps they don't. They go home together, or maybe they go their separate ways. In the multiverse, with every possible future ahead of them, a love of honey could make all the difference. See each of the four casts of Donmar Warehouse's summer 2020 production in this filmed presentation.

National Theatre Live: Constellations

2021

The Kemps: All True poster
8.0

Spandau Ballet global superstars Gary and Martin Kemp, their lives, and their careers.

The Kemps: All True

2020

Unforgivable poster
7.8

The Mitchell family deal with the devastating aftermath of an act of sexual abuse committed by a member of their own family who, after two years, is about to leave prison.

Unforgivable

2025

Motherland: Last Christmas poster
NR

School's out for the festive season, so the mums (and Kevin) host the ultimate blended celebrations, but the big day takes a shocking turn at Julia's.

Motherland: Last Christmas

2022

Until I Kill You: The Real Story poster
NR

The powerful true story of Delia Balmer - narrated by Anna Maxwell Martin. Discover how she bravely faced the brutality of serial killer John Sweeney and fought for justice.

Until I Kill You: The Real Story

2024

2010s · 13 titles

The Personal History of David Copperfield poster
6.4

A fresh and distinctive take on Charles Dickens’ semi-autobiographical masterpiece, The Personal History of David Copperfield, set in the 1840s, chronicles the life of its iconic title character as he navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within it. From his unhappy childhood to the discovery of his gift as a storyteller and writer, David’s journey is by turns hilarious and tragic, but always full of life, colour and humanity.

The Personal History of David Copperfield

2019

Philomena poster
7.3

A woman searches for her adult son, who was taken away from her decades ago when she was forced to live in a convent.

Philomena

2013

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa poster
6.6

When famous DJ Alan Partridge’s radio station is taken over by a new media conglomerate, it sets in motion a chain of events which see Alan having to work with the police to defuse a potentially violent siege.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

2013

Chubby Funny poster
6.2

Oscar thinks he's special. He isn't. He thinks it's everyone else's fault. It's not. Moving to London, he gives himself a year to break into showbiz, but ends up waylaid by the same old problems: friendships, flings, and finding ultimate fulfillment. Say what you like, but it's tough being Chubby Funny.

Chubby Funny

2017

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage poster
6.2

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the National Theatre of Great Britain presents National Theatre: 50 Years on Stage, bringing together the best British actors for a unique evening of unforgettable performances, broadcast live from London to cinemas around the world.

National Theatre Live: 50 Years on Stage

2013

Mother's Day poster
7.6

On the day before Mother's Day 1993, Colin and Wendy Parry's lives are torn apart when their youngest son Tim is killed in a terrorist attack by the IRA in Warrington's town centre. The attack shocks ordinary people on both sides of the Irish Sea. Sue McHugh, an unassuming and normally shy Dublin housewife, is deeply affected by the tragedy. Spurred into action by the events in Warrington and the hope that she can make a difference, Sue urges people across Ireland to demonstrate that the killings on all sides must stop. But has Sue underestimated the challenge of brokering peace in a community that has known only conflict? As the grieving Parrys search desperately for answers to their son's senseless killing, they form an alliance with Sue, her husband Arthur, and her Peace '93 movement, travelling to Dublin in a bid to bring about peace and ensure Tim's enduring legacy is one of hope and tolerance. Based on real events.

Mother's Day

2018

The Night Watch poster
5.8

Four Londoners are inseparably linked by their wartime experiences. In a time when the barriers of sexuality and social convention have been broken down, they enjoy a freedom never experienced before.

The Night Watch

2011

National Theatre Live: King Lear poster
7.1

An aged king decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters, according to which of them is most eloquent in praising him. His favourite, Cordelia, says nothing. Simon Russell Beale, whose recent appearances at the National include Timon of Athens and Collaborators, takes the title role in Shakespeare’s tragedy.

National Theatre Live: King Lear

2014

Reg poster
5.1

In June 2003, Reg Keys and his wife Sally return to their home in the Welsh countryside. As they switch on the TV to hear six military policemen have been murdered in Iraq, two men arrive bearing the terrible news that their son, Tom, was among them.

Reg

2016

Birthday poster
6.7

Sky Arts’ adaptation of Joe Penhall’s 2012 Royal Court play Birthday sees Mangan reprise the role of Ed who endures a caesarian birth with his high-flying wife by his side.

Birthday

2015

National Theatre Live: Consent poster
NR

Why is Justice blind? Is she impartial? Or is she blinkered? Friends take opposing briefs in a rape case. The key witness is a woman whose life seems a world away from theirs. At home, their own lives begin to unravel as every version of the truth is challenged. Nina Raine’s powerful, painful, funny play sifts the evidence from every side and puts justice herself in the dock. Consent received its world premiere in a co-production with Out of Joint at the National Theatre in April 2017. This archive recording was captured on 9th May, 2017.

National Theatre Live: Consent

2017

On Expenses poster
NR

Drama about journalist Heather Brooke's fight for the disclosure of MPs' expenses.

On Expenses

2010

Off the Page: School Gate poster
NR

An after-school encounter captures two parents' hopes and fears for their children's future. Anna Maxwell Martin and Liz White star in a 'microplay' about education, written by Rachel De-lahay and directed by Gbolahan Obisesan, after a conversation with the Guardian's Richard Adams, Sally Weale, and Michael Rosen.

Off the Page: School Gate

2014

2000s · 8 titles

Becoming Jane poster
7.3

Though young Jane Austen's financially strapped parents expect her to marry the nephew of wealthy Lady Gresham, Jane herself knows that such a union will destroy her creativity and sense of self-worth. Instead, she becomes involved with Tom Lefroy, a charming but penniless apprentice lawyer who gives her the knowledge of the heart she needs for her future career as a novelist.

Becoming Jane

2007

Enduring Love poster
5.8

Two strangers become dangerously close after witnessing a deadly accident. On a beautiful cloudless day a young couple celebrate their reunion with a picnic. Joe has planned a postcard-perfect afternoon in the English countryside with his partner, Claire. But as Joe and Claire prepare to open a bottle of champagne, their idyll comes to an abrupt end. A hot air balloon drifts into the field, obviously in trouble. The pilot catches his leg in the anchor rope, while the only passenger, a boy, is too scared to jump down. Joe and three other men rush to secure the basket. But fate has other ideas...

Enduring Love

2004

Poppy Shakespeare poster
6.8

N has been a day patient at north London's Dorothy Fish day hospital for 13 years - her ambition is never to leave. Then she meets glamourous new patient Poppy Shakespeare, an ad agency receptionist convinced she's not mad.

Poppy Shakespeare

2008

I Really Hate My Job poster
4.0

While anticipating the arrival of a famous Hollywood star, five employees at a mediocre restaurant in London's Soho must deal with rats, arguments and kitchen-based power struggles.

I Really Hate My Job

2007

White Girl poster
5.6

Debbie, a working class single mother from Leeds, moves her family to Bradford, where they find themselves in an ethnic minority. Daughter Leah must adapt to being the only white girl at school.

White Girl

2008

The Wind in the Willows poster
5.8

Jailed for his reckless driving, rambunctious Mr. Toad has to escape from prison when his beloved Toad Hall comes under threat from the wily weasels, who plan to build a dog food factory on the very meadow sold to them by Toad himself.

The Wind in the Willows

2006

Freefall poster
6.1

FREEFALL is the first drama to tackle the extraordinary financial crisis Britons are living through. Helmed by multiple BAFTA-winning director Dominic Savage, the film takes a startling and provocative look at the events that caused people's lives to spiral out of control. With pace, edge and real emotional punch, it gives a unique insight into how the country came so perilously close to the edge.

Freefall

2009

Moonshot poster
6.9

Man's landing on the moon was our greatest technological achievement. The Apollo 11 mission was truly the stuff of dreams. For the first time, our species walked on another celestial body. Even more remarkable was their ability to make it back. This is the story of the July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 moon landing. Drama with digitally remastered original footage.

Moonshot

2009

Series credits

Doctor Who poster
7.6

The Doctor is a Time Lord: a 900 year old alien with 2 hearts, part of a gifted civilization who mastered time travel. The Doctor saves planets for a living—more of a hobby actually, and the Doctor's very, very good at it.

Doctor Who

2005

Doctor Who poster
7.6

The Doctor is a Time Lord: a 900 year old alien with 2 hearts, part of a gifted civilization who mastered time travel. The Doctor saves planets for a living—more of a hobby actually, and the Doctor's very, very good at it.

Doctor Who

2005

Midsomer Murders poster
7.5

The peacefulness of the Midsomer community is shattered by violent crimes, suspects are placed under suspicion, and it is up to a veteran DCI and his young sergeant to calmly and diligently eliminate the innocent and ruthlessly pursue the guilty.

Midsomer Murders

1997

The Graham Norton Show poster
7.2

Each week celebrity guests join Irish comedian Graham Norton to discuss what's being going on around the world that week. The guests poke fun and share their opinions on the main news stories. Graham is often joined by a band or artist to play the show out.

The Graham Norton Show

2007

Have I Got News for You poster
7.1

Hilarious, totally-irreverent, near-slanderous political quiz show, based mainly on news stories from the last week or so, that leaves no party, personality or action unscathed in pursuit of laughs.

Have I Got News for You

1990

Have I Got a Bit More News for You poster
7.0

Based on the week’s news and fronted by guest hosts, this extended version of the satirical news quiz features more of the stuff that wouldn't fit into the regular programme.

Have I Got a Bit More News for You

—

Line of Duty poster
8.2

A drama about the investigations of AC-12, a controversial police anticorruption unit.

Line of Duty

2012

Good Omens poster
8.0

Aziraphale and Crowley, of Heaven and Hell respectively, have grown rather fond of the Earth. So it's terrible news that it's about to end. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing. The Four Horsemen are ready to ride. Everything is going according to the Divine Plan...except that someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist. Can our heroes find him and stop Armageddon before it's too late?

Good Omens

2019

Would I Lie to You? poster
7.8

A comedic panel show featuring team captains Lee Mack and David Mitchell plus two guests per side, hosted by Rob Brydon (formerly Angus Deayton). Each person must reveal embarrassing facts and outrageous lies during a series of different rounds including "Home Truths", "This Is My..." and "Quickfire Lies". It is up to the opposing team to tell tall tales from fantastic facts.

Would I Lie to You?

2007

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway poster
6.1

A gameshow hosted by Ant and Dec filled with stunts, sketches, and special guest appearances.

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway

2002

Ludwig poster
7.9

John Taylor lives in quiet solitude, designing puzzles for a living, under the nom-de-plume of 'Ludwig'. When his identical twin, James, disappears off the face of the earth, John takes over his brother's identity in a quest to discover his whereabouts.

Ludwig

2024

Star City poster
7.7

Step into a thrilling chapter inspired by For All Mankind. Same alt-history universe. Different perspective: the Soviet Union's. Go behind the Iron Curtain with the cosmonauts, engineers, and intelligence officers who risked it all in the race for the Moon.

Star City

2026

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder poster
7.5

Five years after the death of schoolgirl Andie Bell, Pippa Fitz-Amobi sets out to uncover what really happened to her. Sal Singh, Andie's boyfriend, admitted to the murder before taking his own life, but Pip doesn't believe he's responsible and teams up with Sal's brother Ravi to uncover the truth. If Sal Singh isn't a murderer and the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from finding out the truth?

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

2024

Steal poster
7.5

A typical day at Lochmill Capital is upended when armed thieves burst in and force Zara and her best friend Luke to execute their demands. In the aftermath, conflicted detective Rhys races against time to find out who stole £4 billion pounds of people's pensions and why.

Steal

2026

A Spy Among Friends poster
6.5

Follow the defection of notorious British intelligence officer and KGB double agent, Kim Philby, through the lens of his complex relationship with MI6 colleague and close friend, Nicholas Elliott.

A Spy Among Friends

2022

Mandy poster
7.5

Mandy is a woman with dreams. Big dreams. Most of all she dreams of breeding Doberman Pinchers. But there are hurdles to overcome before that dream can become a reality. In the series we'll see her go on a health kick, rent out her small back bedroom on Airbnb and attempt a series of short-lived jobs in the modern gig economy.

Mandy

2020

North & South poster
8.1

Margaret Hale is a southerner from a country vicarage newly settled in the industrial northern town of Milton. In the shock of her move, she misjudges charismatic cotton mill-owner John Thornton, whose strength of purpose and passion are a match for her own pride and willfulness. When the workers of Milton call a strike, Margaret takes their side, and the two are brought into deeper conflict. As events spiral out of control, Margaret - to her surprise - begins to fall in love with Thornton...

North & South

2004

Death Comes to Pemberley poster
6.9

A British television drama based on P. D. James' novel of the same name, a murder mystery sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Six years after the union of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, Lydia Wickham barges into Pemberley screaming that her husband has been murdered.

Death Comes to Pemberley

2013

The Irregulars poster
7.1

In Victorian London, a gang of troubled street teens are manipulated into solving crimes for the sinister Doctor Watson and his mysterious business partner, the elusive Sherlock Holmes. As the crimes take on a horrifying supernatural edge and a dark power emerges, it'll be up to the Irregulars to come together to save not only London but the entire world.

The Irregulars

2021

Accused poster
8.2

How certain people end up being accused of a crime.

Accused

2010

Urban Myths poster
7.3

Our Urban Myths are stories that have been passed down over time and have now become part of urban folklore. But are they true? We take a slightly tongue in cheek, mischievous – and deliberately ambiguous – look at what might have happened...

Urban Myths

2017

The Frankenstein Chronicles poster
7.0

Inspector John Marlott investigates a series of crimes in 19th century London, which may have been committed by a scientist intent on re-animating the dead.

The Frankenstein Chronicles

2015

Bleak House poster
8.0

The generous John Jarndyce, struggling with his own past, and his two young wards Richard and Ada, are all caught up, like Lady Dedlock, in the infamous case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, which will make one of them rich beyond imagination if it can ever be brought to a conclusion. As Tulkinghorn digs deeper into Lady Dedlock's past, he unearths a secret that will change their lives forever, and which is almost as astounding as the final outcome of the Jarndyce case.

Bleak House

2005

Motherland poster
7.2

Sitcom about navigating the trials and traumas of middle-class motherhood, looking at the competitive and unromantic side of parenting.

Motherland

2017

And Then There Were None poster
7.5

Ten strangers, drawn away from their normal lives to an isolated rock off the Devon coast. But as the mismatched group waits for the arrival of the hosts -- the improbably named Mr. and Mrs. U.N. Owen -- the weather sours and they find themselves cut off from civilization. Very soon, the guests, each struggling with their conscience, will start to die -- one by one, according to the rules of the nursery rhyme 'Ten Little Soldier Boys' -- a rhyme that hangs in every room of the house and ends with the most terrifying words of all: '... and then there were none.

And Then There Were None

2015

The Bletchley Circle poster
7.6

The Bletchley Circle follows the journey of four ordinary women with extraordinary skills that helped to end World War II. Set in 1952, Susan, Millie, Lucy and Jean have returned to their normal lives, modestly setting aside the part they played in producing crucial intelligence, which helped the Allies to victory and shortened the war. When Susan discovers a hidden code behind an unsolved murder she is met by skepticism from the police. She quickly realises she can only begin to crack the murders and bring the culprit to justice with her former friends. The Bletchley Circle paints a vivid portrait of post-war Britain in this fictional tale of unsung heroes.

The Bletchley Circle

2012

This Morning poster
5.2

This Morning features a variety of news, as well as show business, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, home and garden, food, tech, live phone-ins, and competitions.

This Morning

1988

Rob Beckett's Smart TV poster
5.4

Hosted by the brilliant Rob Beckett alongside his team captains – TV fanatic Josh Widdicombe, and a lady who frankly is TV, Alison Hammond – the show is a hilarious celebration of the small screen and the shows we love (and some we don’t).

Rob Beckett's Smart TV

2024

South Riding poster
6.9

The lives and loves of a 1930s Yorkshire town explored in a passionate tale of politics in small places. South Riding charts the story of Sarah Burton's homecoming to Yorkshire in 1934 after twenty years teaching in London and the Empire. After a fiery interview with a conservative interview panel, outspoken Sarah takes up her first headmistress-ship at Kiplington High School for Girls, determined to demonstrate to her new pupils that the future is theirs for the taking.

South Riding

2011

Until I Kill You poster
6.8

A extraordinary true story of Delia Balmer, who survived a near-fatal relationship with murderer John Sweeney. The series narrates the ordeal Delia suffered at the hands of John Sweeney, and her traumatic journey through the police and criminal justice system as they attempt to prosecute him for his crimes.

Until I Kill You

2024

Code 404 poster
6.7

In the near future, an undercover Detective Inspector gunned down and killed during a botched sting is brought back via an experimental Artificial Intelligence project. Full of glitches, he’s got to track down the person who shot him, prove himself as a cop so as not to get shut down, and save his marriage and his friendship, all with his partner Carver to boot.

Code 404

2020

Brian Pern: A Life in Rock poster
8.4

Brian Pern is an ageing rock star and former front-man of ground breaking progressive rock group Thotch. Like many artists of his age, rather than make new music, he spends more time trying to save the planet (including his campaign to teach gorillas how to Skype). Now, the BBC have asked him to front a major new documentary where he presents his guide to The Life Of Rock from prehistoric man to the present day.

Brian Pern: A Life in Rock

2014

Midwinter of the Spirit poster
6.6

Country vicar Merrily Watkins just happens to be one of the few women priests working as an exorcist. When a man is found murdered by crucifixion, the police, aware of her knowledge of the paranormal underworld, turn to the Vicar for assistance. Before long Merilly is convinced Satanists are behind the crime and the investigation takes them into a very dark and dangerous world.

Midwinter of the Spirit

2015

Hollington Drive poster
6.6

A four-part thriller that focuses on the lives of sisters Theresa and Helen after a kid in their neighbourhood goes missing.

Hollington Drive

2021

The Assembly poster
5.9

Nothing is off limits as a group of autistic, neurodivergent and/or learning disabled interviewers ask the questions.

The Assembly

2025

Free Agents poster
6.5

Free Agents is a romantic black comedy starring Stephen Mangan, Sharon Horgan and Anthony Head. Originally a pilot for Channel 4 in November 2007, the series began on 13 February 2009. It spawned a short lived US remake, which was cancelled after just 4 episodes aired, although 4 more were later released on Hulu.

Free Agents

2009

The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies poster
7.4

Christopher Jefferies's life is turned inside out when one of his tenants disappears without a trace just before Christmas.

The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies

2014

The Body Detectives poster
NR

Ex-detective Dave Grimstead, from Locate International, revisits cases of unidentified bodies around the UK using cutting-edge forensics.

The Body Detectives

2024