Anna Maxwell Martin — things you didn't know about the TV star

Anna Maxwell Martin has become a firm favourite on British TV over the years, starring in shows like Line of Duty, Motherland, And Then There Were None, Bleak House, Death Comes to Pemberley, The Bletchley Circle, Poppy Shakespeare, Ludwig, Doctor Who and Until I Kill You  - proving that she can turn her hand to everything from comedy to dark thrillers and period dramas. 

She also has two Bafta awards, performed in countless radio plays and has 20 years of theatre experience under her belt. 

But what else is there to learn about Anna Maxwell Martin? Here are a few things you might not know...

Her name isn't Anna Maxwell Martin 

While we know and love the star as Anna Maxwell Martin, she was actually born Anna Charlotte Martin and added the Maxwell part of her name when she joined Equity. Maxwell was her grandfather's name and she added it to her name to distinguish herself from another member of the actors' union. 

Her daughters hate her Motherland character

Anna has become a comedy icon thanks to her role as Julia in the hilarious BBC2 show Motherland, but it seems her two daughters aren't a fan. Anna told you.co.uk: "My kids hate Julia. They absolutely hate Motherland. They won't watch it. It's not funny for them. They hate seeing me like that, seeing me that stressed."

Line of Duty changed her life 

While Motherland was hugely popular on BBC2, Anna credits her role as DCS Patricia Carmichael in Line of Duty as being the role that changed everything. Anna joined Jed Mercurio's crime thriller in Line of Duty season 5, and returned for Line of Duty season 6. She told you.co.uk: "I had no idea that Line of Duty was such a huge deal. You become public property, and I wasn't used to that. I was used to the odd lady coming up to me in Waitrose and saying, 'I saw you in the theatre in Cabaret and I didn't think you were very good!' But Line of Duty was a whole other level I even took the dog for a walk and ended up in a mad car chase with a paparazzo."

She made her life-long friends at university 

Before going to drama school in London, Anna went to Liverpool university where she made friends that she still regularly meets up with now. She told The Guardian: "I can't remember any of my degree, I really was just there to act and make friends and drink Bacardi Breezers!"

She doesn't consider herself as famous

Despite being in some of the biggest shows on TV, Anna is sure that she isn't famous. She told The Guardian: "I don't have fame, I'm not famous. I get, 'Have I met you at playgroup?' or 'Did I play mixed doubles with you at Binningdon tennis courts?' So no, I'm not famous, and maybe that's a good thing!"

She's got a secret talent for dancing 

While Anna might be a seriously brilliant actress, she is also apparently a force to be reckoned with on the dance floor. She told independent.co.uk: "You wouldn't know it but I'd be very good in a dance off. I look like a dweeb, but I can dance like Rhianna!"

Anna Maxwell Martin's fact file 

Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the star...

Instagram: @annamaxwellmartin

We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.