Martin Kemp (entertainer) 5167000 225687607 2008-07-14T22:17:21Z Bostart 1383976 {{Infobox Actor | name = Martin Kemp | image = Replace this image male.svg | imagesize = | caption = | birthname = Martin Kemp | birthdate = {{birth date and age|1961|10|10}} | location = [[Islington]], [[London]], [[England]] | deathdate = | deathplace = | height = 6' 0" (1.83 m) | othername = | homepage = http://www.originalmartinkemp.com | spouse = Shirlie Holliman (1988&ndash;) | awards = '''[[TV Quick Awards|TV Quick Award for Best Soap Actor]]''' </br> 2000, 2001, 2002 ''[[EastEnders]]'' </br> '''[[National Television Awards|National Television Award for Most Popular Actor]]''' </br> 2000 ''[[EastEnders]]'' </br> '''[[British Soap Awards|British Soap Award for Villain of the Year]]''' </br> 2000 ''[[EastEnders]]'' </br> '''[[British Soap Awards|British Soap Award for Best Actor]]''' </br> 2001, 2002 ''[[EastEnders]]'' </br> '''[[British Soap Awards|British Soap Award for Sexiest Male]]''' </br> 2001, 2002 ''[[EastEnders]]'' }} '''Martin John Kemp''' (born [[10 October]] [[1961]] in [[Islington]], [[London]]), brother of [[Gary Kemp]], is an [[England|English]] [[actor]] and former [[pop musician]] with [[Spandau Ballet]]. ==Career== In the 1980s he and his brother Gary Kemp had a great deal of success in the [[New Romantic]] band [[Spandau Ballet]]. Their most popular albums included ''[[True (Spandau Ballet album)|True]]''. He also performed on the popular 1984 famine relief project song "[[Do They Know It's Christmas]]", written by [[Bob Geldof]] and [[Midge Ure]]. He and his brother Gary branched out into acting in 1990, both of them appearing in the British film ''[[The Krays (film)|The Krays]]'' in which they played the notorious gangster twins, [[Kray twins|Ronald and Reginald Kray]]. Their performances received a great deal of critical acclaim. Since ''The Krays'', Martin Kemp has been in the public eye more than his brother. He moved to [[Los Angeles]] in the early 1990s and made appearances in television series such as ''[[The Outer Limits]]'' and ''[[Highlander: The Series]]''. He also appeared in several [[Hollywood]] films such as ''[[Waxwork II: Lost in Time]]'' (1992) and ''[[Embrace of the Vampire]]'' (1994). In 1995 he moved back to the United Kingdom and took a break from acting for a short while after recovering from a brain tumour. He then resumed his acting career in 1998 when he made guest appearance in the [[ITV]] police drama series ''[[The Bill]]''. He went on to became popular for his role as villain [[Steve Owen]] in the [[BBC]]'s top [[soap opera]], ''[[EastEnders]]'' from late 1998 to 2002. His character was involved in some of the soap's highest rated storylines such as the [[Saskia Duncan]] murder and "[[Who Shot Phil?]]". By the time he left the series, he was one of the best-known faces on British [[television]]. Kemp won three TV Quick Awards for Best Soap Actor (2000, 2001, 2002),<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2001/jul/26/broadcasting.bbc1 Martin Kemp quits ''EastEnders''], ''The Guardian'', [[July 26]], [[2001]], retrieved [[February 4]], [[2008]]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2248271.stm Backstage at the Quick Awards] BBC News, [[September 10]], [[2002]], retrieved [[February 4]], [[2008]]</ref><ref>[http://www.thecustard.tv/linksandlists/tvawards.html TheCustard.tv], retrieved [[February 4]], [[2008]]</ref> a National Television Award for Most Popular Actor (2000)<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/966147.stm National Television Awards: The winners] BBC News, [[October 10]], [[2000]], retrieved [[February 4]], [[2008]]</ref> and five British Soap Awards (Villain of the Year in 2000, Best Actor in 2001 and 2002, Sexiest Male in 2001 and 2002) for his work on ''EastEnders''.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1996051.stm ''EastEnders'' sweeps soap awards], BBC News, [[May 19]], [[2002]], retrieved [[February 4]], [[2008]]</ref><ref>[http://www.waveguide.co.uk/8004.htm British Soap Awards 2001 - The Winners] Waveguide.co.uk, retrieved [[February 4]], [[2008]]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/767530.stm ''Eastenders'' cleans up soap awards], BBC News, [[May 28]], [[2000]], retrieved [[February 4]], [[2008]]</ref> He then switched over to [[ITV]] where he starred in several television dramas such as ''[[The Brides in the Bath]]'' in which he played real-life murderer, [[George Joseph Smith|George Smith]] and ''Can't Buy Me Love'' opposite fellow ''EastEnders'' star [[Michelle Collins]] which was based on a true story about a man who conned his wife and friends into believing he had won the lottery. Most recently Kemp starred in a low-budget British film titled ''[[Back in Business (film)| Back in Business]]'' which had a limited release in February 2007 and one month later was released on DVD. Kemp has also founded his own production company. Martin appeared on a celebrity special of ''[[Who Wants to Be A Millionaire]]'' in January 2008 with his brother Gary, in order to raise awareness of and funds for the Encephalitis Society. ==Personal life== Martin Kemp has been married to Shirlie Holliman since 1988. Holliman is a former back up singer of the group [[Wham! (pop duo)|Wham!]] and one-half of the 1980s pop duo [[Pepsi and Shirlie]]. The couple have a son and daughter together. Martin Kemp is also patron of the UK and Ireland charity, The Encephalitis Society, and at the time of becoming patron confirmed that he had controlled [[epilepsy]] since the 1990s, as a result of having two [[brain tumour]]s. The Society is the only resource in the world that provides information globally on the disease and its consequences. Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain usually as a result of infection or an inappropriate auto immune response. Following the tumours, Kemp had a protective metal plate implanted over his brain under the scalp. It is unnoticeable but not undetectable - during an appearance on the [[Frank Skinner]] Show in 2002, Kemp jokingly remarked that he could never slip quietly through metal detectors at airports, as the plate would set the alarm off. ==Filmography== *''[[Back in Business (film)|Back in Business]]'' (2007) .... Will Spencer *''[[Marple (TV series)|Marple]]'' (2006) .... Jackie Afflick *''[[Love Lies Bleeding]]'' (2005) .... Mark Terry *''[[Can't Buy Me Love (TV film)|Can't Buy Me Love]]'' (2004) .... Alan Harris *''[[Where the Heart Is (1997 TV series)|Where the Heart Is]]'' (2004) .... Ian Thorpe *''[[The Brides in the Bath]]'' (2003) .... George Smith *''[[Sugar Town (film)|Sugar Town]]'' (1999) .... Jonesy *''[[EastEnders]]'' (1998-2002) ..... Steve Owen *''[[Monk Dawson]]'' (1998) .... David Allenby *''[[The Bill]]'' (1998) ..... Tom Marsh *''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]'' (1996) *''[[The Outer Limits]]'' (1995) .... Michael Deighton *''[[Embrace of the Vampire]]'' (1994) .... Vampire *''[[Highlander: The Series]]'' (1993) .... Alfred Cahill *''[[Aspen Extreme]]'' (1993) .... Franz Hauser *''[[Waxwork II: Lost in Time]]'' (1992) .... Baron Von Frankenstein *''[[The Krays]]'' (1990) .... Reggie Kray ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.originalmartinkemp.com/ Official Martin Kemp Website] * {{imdb name|name=Martin Kemp|id=0447337}} * http://www.encephalitis.info {{DEFAULTSORT:Kemp, Martin}} [[Category:1961 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:English actors]] [[Category:English soap opera actors]] [[Category:English male singers]] [[Category:English bass guitarists]] [[Category:People with epilepsy]]