Scottish actor Mark Bonnar, known for his roles in Shetland and Line of Duty, has joined the cast of BBC hit Ludwig for its second run. He has taken on the role of Gareth Fisher, a social recluse who assists Ludwig (David Mitchell) in finding an alternative space to solve murder mysteries.
On his latest role, Bonnar told the BBC: "What always blows me away anytime I step onto any set is what geniuses the art department are. They create a world that makes you forget yourself."
The 57-year-old actor, from Edinburgh, was born to environmental artist Stan and his wife Rosi. His father's job as town artist for the Scottish New Towns meant the family moved around a lot, but in 1981 they settled in Edinburgh, where Mark studied.
Mark Bonnar's Real Name
Mark Bonnar was actually born Richard Bonnar, with Mark being his middle name. Plenty of actors choose an alternative name to use professionally, with Mark favouring his middle name for his acting career.
He took his first acting class when he was 11 years old, but he had always had a flair for the arts. He told The National in March 2025: "My mum and dad would probably say that I've been acting up my whole life."
A guidance counsellor had warned him he should pick subjects to prepare him for a career. "They told me that drama wasn't really going to give me anything career-wise. They recommended that I take a more academic subject. So I did. I dropped drama and did chemistry instead," he admitted. However, his curiosity for exploring drama got the better of him and he eventually pursued acting as a career.
Mark Bonnar's Famous Wife
The star married actress Lucy Gaskell on December 28, 2007. Gaskell, from Manchester, is best known for her roles in Cutting It and Casualty. She has also starred in Waking the Dead, Holby City, and Where the Heart Is. Most recently, she had a guest role in Midsomer Murders in 2025.
Bonnar met his wife in 2003, while appearing in a stage production of The Cherry Orchard. In a previous interview with White Wine Question Time, Bonnar opened up about celebrating his 15th wedding anniversary, and he paid an emotional tribute to his wife. He said: "I couldn't believe it was 15 years we were celebrating, because I still... I'm still filled with love when I look at her, you know? Which is a wonderful thing to feel."
On how they make their marriage work well, he reiterated a good point his wife had told him: "I think we always take the time to show the kids that we appreciate each other, what each other does in our daily lives."
Mark Bonnar's Children
The couple have two children, a daughter called Martha and a son called Samuel. Martha was born in July 2011 and Samuel in June 2015.
Back in 2017, when his son was just 19 months old, Bonnar opened up to The Sunday Post about juggling work with parental responsibilities. He said: "It got a lot busier after Samuel was born, but we seem to have been very lucky so far. We've been able to slot into each other's gaps, work-wise. Lucy was in Nice a little while back doing an episode of an American thing after I'd finished on Unforgotten. So, before I started on the new series of Catastrophe, I had a couple of months off and was here for the kids. Those periods are nice because being around is a luxury most parents don't have these days. Lots of dads I know only see their kids at weekends or for half an hour before bedtime."
Ludwig season 2 premieres on BBC One tonight, August 20, at 9pm.
