Martin Compston delves into rigorous fitness regime after landing ITV Red Eye role: 'Comes in handy for the fight scenes!'

Mr Compston said he had been a fan of the first series long before landing a role himself, tuning in initially to support director Kieron Hawkes, a long-time friend and collaborator.

“I tuned in for Kieron – and became a big fan,” Mr Compston said. “I thought Lesley [Sharp], Jing [Lusi] and Richard [Armitage] were all terrific in series one.”

The actor admitted returning to a primetime BBC-style audience was a major draw, describing the 9pm slot as “still the biggest in UK TV”.

“It feels great,” he said. “I’m quite fond of that 9pm slot. There’s nothing like feeling the whole country is watching with you. Red Eye is classic cops-and-robbers fun.

"I was genuinely giddy reading the scripts. Roles like this don’t come along often.”

Mr Compston’s character, Brody, is introduced as head of security at the American Embassy in London, a former British military figure tasked with keeping people safe in a fast-moving and increasingly dangerous environment.

“He’s a bit of a man of mystery,” the actor explained. “He’s had a successful service career in the military and now runs a high-pressure operation where people’s safety is on his mind 24/7. He expects precision every day.”

A key dynamic in the new series is Brody’s tense relationship with DS Hana Li, played by Jing Lusi, with the pair sharing a fraught history that fuels on-screen conflict.

“They crossed paths early in their careers and clashed,” Mr Compston said. “They’re both quite alpha, both control freaks. Put two people like that together and you get fireworks.”

While the drama is heavy on suspense and conspiracy, he revealed the physical demands of the role were matched by intense preparation behind the scenes, something he credits to years of specialist training.

“This isn’t my first rodeo with high-octane scenes,” he said. “Years ago, Kieron got me into Krav Maga, which is Israeli martial arts.

"There’s a lot of guns and combat work. When I’m home, I train four days a week, so that comes in handy for the fight scenes.”

He added that filming action sequences often requires more imagination than audiences might expect.

“You’re often doing them without action or sound,” he explained. “You have to commit and imagine it all. You lean into the make-believe and trust the team will add the chaos later.”

Despite the intensity of the shoot, Mr Compston said there were lighter moments on set, singling out Ms Lusi’s forensic glove routine as a regular source of laughter.

“She had a never-ending supply of plastic gloves coming from her pocket,” he joked. “She’s delivering intense dialogue while trying to get them on – it was quite impressive and quite hilarious.”

Now in his 40s, Mr Compston admitted he no longer performs stunts daily but still relates to Brody’s quick-thinking nature, particularly through his growing passion for producing.

“Quick thinking and problem-solving, that I relate to,” he said. “DIY is where the comparison falls apart. My wife leads the charge there.”

Ultimately, the actor hopes Red Eye’s return offers viewers a sense of escapism.

“With so much doom and gloom around, there’s real value in switching off for an hour and being carried along,” he said. “If we’ve given people that release, we’ve done our job.”

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