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Daily Record
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Siobhan Macdonald

Martin Compston reveals he accidentally threw a dart into his brother's skull

Martin Compston has revealed that he once accidentally threw a dart into his brother's head in a family game gone wrong.

The Line of Duty star opened up about the incident on his Restless Natives podcast alongside pal and broadcaster Gordon Smart.

The Greenock-born actor, 38, recalled the moment where his brother was standing a little too close to the dart board before he accidentally launched the dart into his skull.

Discussing the incident, Martin said his brother was sitting on the computer next to the wall with the dart board and despite his reluctance to throw the dart in case he hit him, his dad said it would be fine. He said: "We used to have this dart board and the darts were something like what the Vikings would have played darts with.

"These darts were metal chunky things, even trying to lift them let alone throw them. So the dart board was immediately in front of me and to the left of it was this computer room with my brother on the computer facing away.

"I said ‘dad I don’t want to throw this’ and he went ‘he’s miles away, you’re never going to hit him’."

He said: "The board just looked like it was getting further and further away and I threw it and it’s sailing through the air and I just heard this thud and it went right in the back of my brother's head.

"I can still hear the sound to this day of it going into his skull.

"Before my dad could grab me, my move was always to run and lock myself in the toilet, and I wouldn't come out until everybody had calmed down. And my dad blamed me saying it was a ‘terrible throw’."

Gordon replied: "Great parenting I love it."

This comes after the Scots star told fans of the moment where he was sure he would get the part of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy - but the role ended up going to Martin Freeman.

Compston - who most recently starred in the BBC adaptation of Andrew O'Hagan's book Mayflies - said: "I did audition for Bilbo Baggins. And I remember coming out and I thought I was in a good place in my career at the time, and I thought 'Yeah man, you never know', and I love Lord of the Rings.

"I just thought 'this is just the right part'."

He continued: "And I was meeting Kevin Bridges for a pint in London, and he was like 'alright mate, what have you been up to?'. I was like 'I can't tell him' - I thought for this thing I can't really talk about I'd auditioned for it.

"And he went 'Go on, just tell me'. And I went 'I was in for Bilbo Baggins'. Then he started talking about the audition. He was like 'I was just in as well'. Just when you come out going - I had a wee thing in my head going - 'oh, I've got the part'. Then you realise everybody's in for it."

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