Martin Ledwith is a Scottish actor and acting coach, best known for his work in theatre and television.

Early life

Ledwith was born in

Motherwell Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark (; ), is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and registration county in the Central Lowlands and Southern Uplands of Scotland. The county is no l ...

, the fourth son of Peter Ledwith and Theresa Gregory. His first job in theatre was as a designer for Wiseguise Theatre, Glasgow. He designed productions at the

Traverse Theatre The Traverse Theatre is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded as The Traverse Theatre Club in 1962 by John Calder, John Malcolm, Jim Haynes, Richard Demarco, Terry Lane, Andrew Muir, John Martin and Sheila Colvin. The Traverse Th ...

, Edinburgh and the

Tron Theatre The Tron Theatre is located in Glasgow, Scotland. The theatre was formerly known as the Tron Kirk. It began as the Collegiate Church of Our Lady and St. Anne. The Tron Theatre building is home to the Tron Theatre Company and serves as a prod ...

, Glasgow. Ledwith moved to London to study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...

). At RADA he studied Stanislavski technique with Doreen Cannon and voice with Robert Palmer.

Stage career

Ledwith's first role after leaving RADA was in the

Royal Court A royal court, often called simply a court when the royal context is clear, is an extended royal household in a monarchy, including all those who regularly attend on a monarch, or another central figure. Hence, the word ''court'' may also be app ...

production of ''The Future Is Betamax'' at the Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End. His most recent stage role was as

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (, ; born March 19, 1952) is an American film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent ...

's production of Finding Neverland directed by

Rob Ashford Rob Ashford (born November 19, 1959) is an American stage director and choreographer. He is a Tony Award, Olivier Award, Emmy Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award winner. Early life and education Born in Orlando, Florida and ...

at the

Curve theatre Curve, also known as Curve Theatre, is a theatre in Leicester, England, based in the cultural quarter in Leicester City Centre. Previously, it had been called Leicester Performing Arts Centre. It is adjacent to the Leicester Athena conference a ...

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

Screen career

Ledwith's first screen role was in ''

The Crow Road ''The Crow Road'' is a novel by the Scottish writer Iain Banks, published in 1992. Plot introduction The novel describes Prentice McHoan's preoccupation with death, sex, his relationship with his father, unrequited love, sibling rivalry, a mi ...

'' (BBC) in 1996. He is probably best known for his regular roles in two TV series. In ''

Heartbeat Heartbeat, heart beat or heartbeats may refer to: Science and technology * Heartbeat (biology), one cardiac cycle of the heart * Heartbeat (computing), a periodic signal to indicate normal operation or to synchronize parts of a system ** Heartbea ...

'' (Yorkshire Television), he played the role of cheating philanderer Andy Ryan in series 9 (1999). In 2001–2002, Ledwith was a regular in ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...

'' (BBC) playing the part of Fr Michael, who committed suicide after having an illicit affair with a nurse. Other roles have included guest appearances in ''

Taggart ''Taggart'' is a Scottish detective fiction television programme created by Glenn Chandler, who wrote many of the episodes, and made by STV Studios for the ITV network. It originally ran as the miniseries ''Killer'' from 6 until 20 Septe ...

'' (STV), '' The Whistle-Bowler'' (BBC), '' Monarch of the Glen'' (BBC) and ''Superbugs'' (

WGBH-TV WGBH-TV (channel 2), branded GBH or GBH 2 since 2020, is the primary PBS List of PBS member stations, member television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Affiliated stations and facilities WGBH-TV is the Flagship (broadcasting), ...

Boston).

Acting coach

Ledwith is an acting coach and consultant for film, theatre and television. He originally taught Stanislavski Technique at London's City Lit. He has worked with actors and directors on a variety of projects including ''Spider-Man: Far From Home,'' '' Daredevil'', '' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'', ''

The Night Of ''The Night Of'' is a 2016 American eight-part crime drama miniseries based on the first series of ''Criminal Justice'', a 2008 British series. The miniseries was written by Richard Price and Steven Zaillian (based on the original ''Criminal Ju ...

'', ''

The Crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

'', '' The Collection'', ''

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada * Salem, Ontario, various places Germany * Salem, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality in the Bodensee district ** Salem Abbey (Reichskloster Salem), a monastery * Salem, Schleswig-Holstein Israel * Salem (B ...

'', ''

Deadpool Deadpool is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, the character first appeared in ''New Mutants'' #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is ...

'', '' Snatch'', ''

The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American historical drama, period spy fiction, spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg for FX (TV channel), FX. It aired for six seasons from 2013 to 2018. Weisberg and Joel Fields also served as showrunners ...

'', ''

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ''Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' is a 2009 parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith. It is a mashup combining Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel ''Pride and Prejudice'' with elements of modern zombie fiction, crediting Austen as co-author. It was f ...

'', ''

Jason Bourne Jason Bourne () is the titular character and the protagonist in a series of novels and subsequent film adaptations. The character was created by novelist Robert Ludlum. He first appeared in the novel '' The Bourne Identity'' (1980), which wa ...

'', ''

Top Boy ''Top Boy'' is a British crime drama thriller (genre), thriller television series created and written by Ronan Bennett. The series is set on the fictional Summerhouse Housing estate, estate in the London Borough of Hackney. It focuses on two d ...

'', ''

Boardwalk Empire ''Boardwalk Empire'' is an American period crime drama television series created by Terence Winter for the premium cable channel HBO. The series is set chiefly in Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the Prohibition era of the 1920s. The series sta ...

'', ''

Green Room In show business, the green room is the space in a theatre, or a similar venue, that functions as a waiting room and lounge for Performing arts, performers before, during, and after a performance or show when they are not engaged on Stage (thea ...

'', ''

Guardians of the Galaxy The Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Comic book teams 1969 team The 1969 version of the Guardians of the Galaxy (1969 team), Guardians of the Galaxy were the origi ...

'', ''

Humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

'', '' Quantico'', '' '71'', ''

Prince of Persia ''Prince of Persia'' is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. It is centered around a series of action-adventure games focused on various incarnations of the eponymous Prince, set in ancient and medieval Persia. The first two ga ...

'', ''

The Woman in Black ''The Woman in Black'' is a 1983 gothic horror novel by English writer Susan Hill, about a mysterious spectre that haunts a small English town. A television film based on it, also called '' The Woman in Black'', was produced in 1989, with a s ...

'', '' The Impossible'', '' One Day'', ''

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher ''The Suspicions of Mr Whicher'' is a British series of television films made by Hat Trick Productions for ITV, written by Helen Edmundson and Neil McKay. It stars Paddy Considine in the title role of detective inspector Jack Whicher of the Met ...

'' and ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV (TV network), ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United St ...

''.

Other work

Ledwith supplied the voices for

the Streets The Streets is an English musical project led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner (musician), Mike Skinner. The project was founded in the early 90s, while Skinner was still a teenager; however, no music would formally eventuat ...

' video "World's Longest Music Video". He has voiced many radio and TV commercials.

Mentalism

Ledwith had a brief parallel spell as a stage mentalist and psychological illusionist.

Selected theatre work

* Conch in '' The Cut''. Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh * Eddie in '' The Future Is Betamax''. Royal Court, London * Patrick in '' The Call''. Royal Court, London * Dr John Bretton in '' Villette''. Crucible Theatre, Sheffield * Gabriel Oak in '' Far from the Madding Crowd''. Watermill Theatre, Newbury * Whitey in '' Terms of Abuse''. Hampstead Theatre, London * Armstrong in ''

An Experiment with an Air Pump ''An Experiment with an Air Pump'' is a play by English playwright Shelagh Stephenson inspired by the painting ''An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump'' by Joseph Wright. It shared the Peggy Ramsay Award for 1997, was first performed at the Roya ...

''. Hampstead Theatre, London * Hippolytus in ''

Phaedra Phaedra may refer to: Mythology * Phaedra (mythology), Cretan princess, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus Arts and entertainment * Phaedra (Cabanel), ''Phaedra'' (Cabanel), an 1880 painting by Alexandre Cabanel *House of Phaedra ...

''. Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh * Dowie in ''

The Old Lady Shows Her Medals ''The Old Lady Shows Her Medals'' is a play by J. M. Barrie. It was first published in his collection ''Echoes of the War'' in 1918, which also included the stories ''The New Word'', ''Barbara's Wedding'' and ''A Well-Remembered Voice''. It is set ...

''. Southwark Playhouse, London * Jim MacMillan in '' The Queen's English''. Watford Palace Theatre * Bobby Gould in ''

Speed The Plow ''Speed-the-Plow'' is a 1988 play by David Mamet that is a satirical dissection of the American movie business. As stated in ''The Producer's Perspective'', "this is a theme Mamet would revisit in his later films ''Wag the Dog'' (1997) and ''St ...

''. Library Theatre, Manchester *

Banquo Lord Banquo , the Thane (Scotland), Thane of Lochaber, is a semi-historical character in William Shakespeare's 1606 play ''Macbeth''. In the play, he is at first an ally of Macbeth (character), Macbeth (both are generals in the King's army) an ...

in ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

''. Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh * Orsino in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

''. Horsecross Arts, Perth * The Producer in ''

Six Characters In Search of An Author ''Six Characters in Search of an Author'' ( ) is an Italian play by Luigi Pirandello, written and first performed in 1921. An absurdist metatheatric play about the relationship among authors, their characters, and theatre practitioners, it p ...

''. Headlong Theatre *

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...

in '' Finding Neverland''. Curve, Leicester

Selected filmography

* Darren in ''

'', BBC * Thomas and Jay Erskine in ''

'', STV * Vincent Shearer in '' The Whistle-Blower'', BBC * Andy Ryan (series regular) in ''

'', Yorkshire Television * Dr Nugent (recurring character) in ''

Doctors Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

'', BBC * Fr Michael Chambers (series regular) in ''

'', BBC * Martin Carter in '' Monarch of the Glen'', BBC * Alexander Fleming in ''Superbugs'', WGBH Boston * Sergeant Bryant in ''

Comes A Bright Day ''Comes a Bright Day'' is a 2012 British film written and directed by Simon Aboud, and starring Craig Roberts, Imogen Poots, Kevin McKidd and Timothy Spall.http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/2011/05/11/imogen_poots_submarine_star_cra ...

'' http://www.channel4.com/info/press/press-packs/top-boy-director-jonathan-van-tulleken-talks-about-the-casting-for-s2

External links

* https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0496714/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Ledwith, Martin Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Scottish male stage actors Scottish male television actors Scottish male film actors Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art