Line of Duty star Anna Maxwell Martin opens up on 'financial terror' after husband's death

Anna Maxwell Martin felt “financial terror” when her husband died.

The ‘Line of Duty’ star, 47, was married to late TV and film director Roger Michell - with whom she has daughters Maggie, 15, and Nancy, 13 - from 2002 until 2020 but he died just a year after their split at the age of 65 and she has admitted that she was concerned about money amid her grief.

Speaking on BBC's 'Woman’s Hour', she said: “My husband died three years ago. Things were really difficult in every aspect of our lives

“There’s lots of stuff that comes with grief - and one of those was financial terror.

“Then, there are real practicalities around your children, and their mental health and supporting them, which is your priority.”

The 'Motherland' star noted that she was in a "heightened state of shock" at the time and that continued until "very recently" but her "gritty" nature forced her to pull herself through it.

She continued: “Looking back, I was probably in a heightened state of shock and fear for a long time until very recently.

“I’ve travelled this road of grief and sudden traumatic death before. I’ve done it before. So in a way, I could pick myself up and do it again.

“It was horrible to have to see my children walk that road. But I’m pretty gritty and pretty strong, and I think I’m quite deft.

“I thought I’ve just got to keep the motor chugging on.”

Anna - whose former husband's cause of death has never been disclosed publicly - previously explained that while her separation from Roger had been "very sad", there was no animosity and she felt as if she had lost a "best friend" when he died.

She told The Guardian: “We didn’t have grudges. I don’t operate like that, Roger didn’t really operate like that.

“It’s very sad if you separate, it’s devastating, and you hope you’ll come back around, after a period of time, where you’ll be …

"When Roger died, I lost one of my best friends. I see it as that.”