Martin Savage

Born and raised in England, Martin Savage grew up wanting nothing more than to become a professional actor. He finally got his chance in 1999 when he landed the rare opportunity to work with one of the most respected filmmakers in Britain, director Mike Leigh. Leigh cast Savage as George Grossmith, a British actor from the Victorian era, in his biographical musical drama, "Topsy-Turvy." The film was a major hit with critics both in Britain and in the United States, thus raising Savage's newbie acting profile in the rough and tumble land of Hollywood. Savage continued landing roles both in movies and TV shows throughout the early 2000s, including a small part in the 2002 Leigh film "All or Nothing." He worked with Leigh once again in 2004, this time landing a meatier role as a police detective in Leigh's Oscar-nominated "Vera Drake." It was during this time that Savage also began to land parts in various British plays, among them "A Midsummer's Night Dream" (2002), "Faustus" (2007) and "For King and Country" (2009). Savage's next big high-profile role came on TV, when he landed the part of screenwriter Damon Beesley on the cult British comedy, "Extras." That show, which starred Ricky Gervais, was also broadcast in the United States on HBO, thus further raising Savage's profile across the pond. Over the next few years he continued nabbing parts on British TV shows, most notably "The Thick of It," as well as a recurring voice over part on the American animated show "Family Guy" (Fox, 1999-). In 2014 Savage appeared in "Mr. Turner," his fifth film directed by Mike Leigh. "Mr. Turner" premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, and was a critical hit. The film received several nominations, including four BAFTA nominations, the British equivalent of the Academy Awards.