Martin Clunes has had an impressive TV career, having starred in everything from Doc Martin to Men Behaving Badly. But, behind the scenes, the dad-of-one leads a quiet family life in Dorset with his producer wife Philippa Braithwaite.
The couple married in 1997 and welcomed daughter Emily the following year. Philippa has produced many of the shows that Martin has starred in, including Doc Martin and Manhunt. Find out more about the producer and Martin's family life…
Who is Martin Clunes' wife Philippa Braithwaite?
Martin's wife Philippa is a talented producer and has worked with her husband on many of the shows he has starred in. She even won the Producer of the Year award at the 1998 British Independent Film Awards and has been nominated for a BAFTA for her executive producing role on ITV drama, Manhunt.
The actor proposed to his wife in Hawaii after missing her during a work trip there. Talking to the Irish News, Martin recalled: "I was doing a holiday programme [...] And they'd agreed to fly Philippa out, and I'd done San Francisco and Hawaii on the same trip and she came out at the end of the Hawaii shoot. It was the longest we'd been apart, and I missed her so much that I proposed, while she was really jet-lagged and in such a strange place."
Martin returned to the island 23 years later and went to the hotel where he had popped the question. He explained that he couldn't find the hotel at first, so he looked for it on Google Earth.
In a 2022 interview with SAGA, Martin was asked about the secret to his happy marriage. "At the end of the day, I suppose, everybody should marry my wife. But too late, I already did. And I’m not letting her go," he replied. "I can’t totally analyse why it works, although I suppose some things are obvious; we make each other laugh, for example, and I know I have to make my wife laugh to keep her because her dad was very funny, too, and she’s funny and so is our daughter, Emily.
"It helps that we’ve always worked together, from the very beginning when we met, and we’re partners in our company, Buffalo, and yet we do totally different things. I call her ‘The Boss’, but, actually, it’s a very equal partnership. She’ll be in her office and I’ll be on set or in the studio and then, at some point in the day, she’ll turn up and, hand on heart, I still feel totally thrilled to see her, like it’s the first time. It never stops."
Does Martin Clunes have children?
Martin and Philippa have one daughter, Emily, born in 1999. She is an event horse rider who has competed in several showjumping competitions. Emily inspired her father's love for horses and the family, who live in Beaminster, Dorset, house a variety of horses on their farm. The 62-year-old actor was even made the president of the British Horse Society back in 2011.
What else is there to know about Martin Clunes and Philippa's relationship?
Martin and Philippa work together a lot, and while some couples would find it problematic, they are more than used to it. Martin told The Mirror: "We met while working together, it's the way it's always been for us and it's absolutely fine."
He added: "Yes, it's nice spending a bit of time on the farm on my own, but all I know is that I'm happiest when Philippa is by my side. We usually cook together. When we have a roast on a Sunday, for instance, I'm the one in charge of the meat and the gravy!"
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