--- name: "Martin Kemp" canonical: "https://film.one/person/martin-kemp" fi1m_id: "martin-kemp" imdb_id: "nm0447337" tmdb_id: 47652 wikidata_id: "Q3295485" roles: ["Actor"] born: "10 October 1961" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 72 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-10-07T16:30:31.344960+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Martin Kemp ## Identity Martin Kemp - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/martin-kemp - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** martin-kemp - **IMDb ID:** nm0447337 - **TMDB ID:** 47652 - **Wikidata ID:** Q3295485 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Kemp, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3295485, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0447337/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/47652 Actor. Born 10 October 1961 in Islington, London, England. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 10 October 1961, Islington, London, England - **Active:** 1985–1990 - **Also known as:** Spandau Ballet - **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 acting, 1 other - **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 70 (1), 1990s 74 (1), 2000s 85 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Kemp, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3295485, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0447337/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/47652 ## Fi1m on Martin Kemp > Martin Kemp has the presence to make a screen criminal credible, but not always frightening. In *The Krays*, we find him most persuasive when family life gives him something to play beyond the threat of violence. In *The Krays* (1990), Martin Kemp makes Reggie credible as a member of this family, even when he struggles to make him frightening. He gives the part enough weight that the pairing with Gary Kemp's Ronald does not depend simply on the sight of two brothers playing twins. We recommend the film with reservations, and much of its value lies in their ability to make the domestic scenes persuasive. Martin does not need to outdo his co-star to justify his place in the film. The move from Spandau Ballet's bassist to screen criminal might look like an abrupt change, but *The Krays* was a return to acting after his television work as a child. The film was followed by work in Los Angeles, including *Embrace of the Vampire* (1995), before *EastEnders* gave him Steve Owen from 1998 to 2002. That part established him as a charismatic television villain. His frequent casting as tough men is understandable; we are less interested in the reputation than in what a particular role asks him to do. Peter Medak's *The Krays* asks most usefully for a believable closeness between its criminals. Gary is the stronger lead, making Ronald's primness and savagery coexist, while Martin's presence keeps Reggie from seeming incidental to the pairing. Billie Whitelaw gives the family scenes an authority the more openly threatening material cannot consistently match. We were unsettled by those scenes because the Kemps make the family's closeness credible rather than an amusing gangster eccentricity. The limitation is that the threats do not always frighten us, and we sometimes find ourselves studying the Kemps when we ought to recoil. The repetitive crime story bears some responsibility, but neither central performance entirely solves the problem. The danger of casting Kemp only for toughness is that it asks for the quality this performance delivers least reliably. Choose *The Krays* for its family scenes; expect a less certain evening when it gets down to criminal business. ## Biography Martin Kemp is an English actor and musician. Born in Islington, London, he is the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and the younger brother of bandmate and actor Gary Kemp. Kemp made his film acting debut as Reggie Kray opposite his brother in *The Krays* (1990). He is known for playing Steve Owen in the BBC soap opera *EastEnders* (1998–2002), for which he received several awards including a National Television Award for Most Popular Actor. His other credits include appearances in *Highlander: The Series*, *The Outer Limits*, *Waxwork II: Lost in Time* and *Embrace of the Vampire*. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (3) ### Performed in (2) — the average rests on these - *The Krays* (1990), Fi1m 74, as Reggie Kray — [page](https://film.one/film/the-krays.md) - *EastEnders* (1985), Fi1m 70, as Steve Owen — [page](https://film.one/tv/eastenders.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *Would I Lie to You?* (2007), Fi1m 85, as Self — [page](https://film.one/tv/would-i-lie-to-you.md) ## Complete filmography (57) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Doctor Plague* (2026), as John Verney - *A Gangster's Kiss* (2024), as Don - *Blood Actually: A Murder, They Hope Mystery* (2023), as John - *The Horne Section TV Show* (2022), series, as Martin Kemp - *The Lock-In* (2022), as Steve Owen - *Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains* (2021), series, as Guest - *The Loss Adjuster* (2020), as Lee Leicester - *McDonald & Dodds* (2020), series, as Mick Elkins - *The Krays: The Myth Behind the Legend* (2017), as Narrator - *Age Of Kill* (2015), as Sam Blake - *Assassin* (2015), as Lee Alberts - *Top Dog* (2014), Director - *The Best Years* (2013), as Simon McKnight - *Father Brown* (2013), series, as Dennis Nelson - *Strippers vs. Werewolves* (2012), as Mickey - *How to Stop Being a Loser* (2011), as Zeus - *Stalker* (2010), Writer, Director - *Dead Cert* (2010), Executive Producer - *The Rapture* (2010), as Victor Walker - *The People's Hospital* (2008), series, Actor - *British Film Forever* (2007), series, Actor - *Back in Business* (2007), as Will Spencer - *Waterloo Road* (2006), series, as Mr. Burley - *Love Lies Bleeding* (2006), series, as Mark Terry - *Can't Buy Me Love* (2004), as Alan Harris - *Agatha Christie's Marple* (2004), series, as Jackie Afflick - *Hustle* (2004), series, as Harry Holmes - *The Brides in the Bath* (2003), as George Smith - *Family* (2003), series, as Joey Cutler - *Serious & Organised* (2003), series, as DC Jack Finn - *Daddy's Girl* (2002), as Chris Cooper - *Jack the Ripper: An On-Going Mystery* (2000), as Narrator - *Sugar Town* (1999), as Jonesy - *Supply and Demand* (1998), series, as DI Eddie McEwan - *Monk Dawson* (1998), as David Allenby - *Operation Good Guys* (1997), series, Actor - *TFI Friday* (1996), series, Actor - *Embrace of the Vampire* (1995), as Vampire - *The Outer Limits* (1995), series, as Michael Deighton - *Cyber Bandits* (1995), as Jack Morris - *Boca* (1994), as Reb - *Fleshtone* (1994), as Matthew Greco - *Murder Between Friends* (1994), as Bill Fontanille - *Simulacrum* (1993), as Agent 101 - *Aspen Extreme* (1993), as Franz Hauser - *Ultimate Desire* (1993), as Gordon Alan Lewis - *Highlander: The Series* (1992), series, as Alfred Cahill - *Daydream Believer* (1992), as Digby Olsen - *Waxwork II: Lost in Time* (1992), as Baron Von Frankenstein - *Heartbeat* (1992), series, as Mick Revill - *Growing Rich* (1992), series, as The Driver - *The Krays* (1990), as Reggie Kray — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/the-krays.md) - *Birds of a Feather* (1989), series, Actor - *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, as Lieutenant Luger - *EastEnders* (1985), series, as Steve Owen — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/eastenders.md) - *Friday People* (1985), series, Actor - *Oranges and Lemons* (1973), series, Actor --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/martin-kemp