Martin McCann is back on the beat as copper Stevie Neil in Blue Lights series 2, and fans of his popular character may well be hoping for some romance this time around…
Viewers totally got behind the sweet relationship between Stevie and his work partner Grace Ellis in series 1. And now they are working together again.
In the returning drama, Grace is a year into the job. The team are now faced with a drug-fuelled crime wave that leads them into a loyalist estate. But will the duo have time to investigate Stevie’s lunchbox?
Here’s everything you need to know about actor Martin McCann, including the future of his character, his real life girlfriend, and what else he’s been in.
Who plays Stevie Neil in Blue Lights?
Actor Martin McCann portrays Stevie Neil in Blue Lights series 1 and 2 on BBC One.
He first played the role in series 1, which aired on BBC One in March 2023. The six-parter was a huge hit, and followed three new recruits to Belfast’s police force.
ED! nominated the series for Stand-Out Drama of 2o23, but it was pipped to the post by Happy Valley! Happy Valley won Stand-Out Drama of 2023 by 60% of the votes.
In series 1, policeman Stevie was paired with probationer Grace, who had made a huge career change from social worker to police officer.
Series 2 sees Grace a year into the job. The team are now faced with a drug-fuelled crime wave that leads them into a loyalist estate.
Will Stevie and Grace get together in Blue Lights?
BBC One tells us that “a violent clash puts Stevie and Grace’s working relationship at risk” in series 2. But they aren’t going to spill the beans about any romance!
Viewers will know that Stevie and Grace were getting closer in the first series, with Stevie nearly revealing his romantic feelings for her at the end of the series.
This time, Grace doesn’t have her son at home, either, as he’s off at uni. In the first series, Grace learnt that “mystery man” Stevie was a widower whose wife of 10 years had died from cancer.
Since Sarah’s death, Stevie has lived alone with his beloved dog, spending his time cooking gourmet dishes (hence the impressive lunchbox) and visiting his parents and siblings.
Talking about Stevie and Grace’s will-they-won’t-they relationship, actress Siân Brooke told Radio Times: “If I had a pound for every time someone said, ‘Are Stevie and Grace going to get together?’, I would be a millionaire!”
She added: “In series 2, they’ve decided to follow their heads not their hearts and concentrate on their job. But whether they’re successful in that, you’ll have to find out!”
What else has Blue Lights actor Martin McCann been in?
Actor Martin McCann has been on our screen since 1998, when he played a young joyrider in the short film The Rules of Golf. He soon went on to appear in one episode of Pulling, before joining the sketch show Dry Your Eyes. He played various characters in series 1 and 2, which aired between 2006 and 2007.
In 2010, Martin played Cpl. R.V. Burgin in the brilliant Emmy-winning war series, The Pacific, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Two years later, he portrayed Conor McCann in the TV mini-series Titanic: Blood and Steel.
Other notable roles include Randolph Corbett in The Bastard Executioner, Alvarez in the Jamie Dornan thriller The Fall, and Jack Madden in a 2017 episode of Vera.
In 2017, Martin starred as Renquist in The Frankenstein Chronicles, alongside Sean Bean, and Anna Maxwell Martin. In fact, Martin starred opposite Frank Blake, who joins the cast of Blue Lights series 2 as Shane Bradley.
A year later, Martin played Frank Blessing in Death and Nightingales, before playing Cormac in Temple. Marcella fans may well recognise Martin as Bobby Barrett in the last series of the ITV Anna Friel thriller.
More recently, he played Keon in On the Edge.
What films has Martin been in?
Martin has been in a multitude of films, including Jack Lowden thriller Calibre, Last Sentinel, Wolf, Here Before, The Informer, and The Fight.
He is perhaps best known for his leading role in the 2015 movie The Survivalist. The film followed a survivalist in a time of starvation, who lived off a small plot of land hidden deep in forest. However, when two women seeking food and shelter discovered his farm, he found his existence threatened. It deservedly received a BAFTA nomination for
Other film roles include his role as Bono in comedy Killing Bono, and Occi Byrne in Swansong, for which he won the award for best lead actor in a feature film at the 8th Irish Film & Television Awards.
How old is Blue Lights actor Martin, and where is he from?
Martin McCann was born on 20 July 1983, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
At the time of writing, he was 40 years of age.
In 2020, Martin was listed as number 48 on The Irish Times list of Ireland’s greatest film actors.
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Who is the girlfriend of Martin McCann? Is he married?
Martin is reportedly dating actress and electro-pop musician Nadia Milliken. The performer is also from Belfast.
Although neither of them have discussed their relationship recently, they were spotted looking very much like a couple at the 2016 IFTA Film & Drama Awards (The Irish Film & Television Academy) at Mansion House in Dublin, Ireland.
They were seen with their arms around each other, and staring deeply into each other’s eyes. Nadia has also shared photos of herself with Martin on her Facebook page, with one commenter calling them a “great looking couple”.
Professional singer Nadia has also worked as a actress. She played Raven in the short film The Summoning, and later Violet Coughlan in the 2023 film The Irish Mob.
Read more: Casualty legend Derek Thompson joins the cast of BBC One police drama Blue Lights in series 2
Martin McCann stars in Blue Lights series 2, which starts on Monday, April 15, 2024 at 9pm on BBC One.
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