Martin Compston grew up in the charming town of Greenock, situated in the Inverclyde area of Renfrewshire, Scotland. During his teenage years, he would often accompany his brother Barry to watch Celtic, a renowned Scottish soccer team, and harbored a deep-seated desire to one day don the team's jersey and take to the pitch.
Compston's academic pursuits took him to St. Columba's High School in Gourock, where he diligently worked towards achieving his Standard Grade Exams, ultimately securing three As and two Bs in his Higher results. However, his passion for football proved too great to ignore, and he opted to leave school after his fifth year to pursue a career as a professional footballer.
Before long, Compston's talents caught the attention of Morton Football Team, and he was soon signed to their roster. However, fate had other plans in store for the young athlete. In 2000, acclaimed director Ken Loach stumbled upon Compston during an audition at his alma mater and saw immense potential in the young actor.
Loach cast Compston in the lead role of his film Sweet Sixteen, which was shot on location in Compston's hometown of Greenock, as well as other nearby areas such as Gourock, Inverkip, Kilmalcolm, and Wemyss Bay. The movie's success was nothing short of meteoric, catapulting Compston into the public eye and even generating a sense of pride and recognition for the Inverclyde region.
Despite concerns from some counselors that the film's themes of drug use and underage drinking might have a negative impact on the community, Loach was quick to clarify that the movie was not based on Greenock and Inverclyde, but rather simply filmed there due to Compston's residency in the area.
In the years that followed, Compston reunited with Loach on the omnibus film Tickets, further solidifying his reputation as a talented and versatile young actor.
