Character Information Sheet
NS Nation Name: Xath
Character Name: Martin Spellman
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 61
Character Height: 6'4''
Character Weight: 217
Character Position/Role/Job: Actor (2003 - Present), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Scientific Director for Enviromental Economics (1996 - 2004), EDF Scientific Consultant for Oceans (1990 - 1996), Post-Doc Researcher at Oregan State (1986 - 1990)
Appearance:
Character State of Origin: Washington State
Character State of Residence: California
Character Party Affiliation: Independent (1992 - 1999), Democrat (1999 - Present)
Main Strengths: High name recognition, known science communicator and advocate of action against climate change, connections to business and celebrity circles in California
Main Weaknesses: Outsider to politics, little experience in campaigning and no infrastructure, most views beyond climate change are unformed or superficial, history with addiction (covered up by his publicity agents)
Biography:
Martin Spellman was born in 1958 to a middle-class family, with nothing spectacular about them. His father worked in construction and his mom, a high school science teacher. They were a caring family and given their desire to have no more than a single child, Martin grew up in a lonely way but perhaps more independent than other children. He learned how to read quickly and became an alert student at an early age. His interest in the outdoors was demonstrated by his love of fishing with his father. Middle school and high school quickly went by for the young student as he went to the University of Washington for college. Choosing to study biology and go the premedical route, partly at the suggestion of his mother, he threw himself into his studies. It was at this point that he found his wife, Lucy Winters, his lab partner in an introductory biology class. Their relationship blossomed as he quickly realized that he did not want to practice medicine. But he was bent on graduate school, as his mother had been unable to do the same. He saw this as needing to take the opportunity not afforded to her.
Being accepted into the Oregon State University Ph.D. program in Environmental Science, he proposed to Lucy and moved with her. Lucy’s degree in special education helped her find a job in the area, thus they eloped to stay together. As for Martin’s decision to study ES, he found it a way to recall his childhood and had become intrigued by the environmentalist movement around him, beating out a potential graduate path in biology which he saw as too boring and not impactful enough. This only grew as he began his studies and embarked on his Ph.D. in fishery wellness in the Pacific Northwest, specific to salmon migration. Completing his work, he chose to stay at the institution taking a more independent role in the project. He continued to work in the field, developing connections with many political groups advocating for greater environmental laws as well as other scientists across the West. His work often led to being a voice for greater regulation and due to the major impact of fishing in the region, he would often be called to be an expert witness with government agencies. Spellman also saw a greater amount of advocacy towards the end of his tenure at Oregon State, eventually receiving an offer to be a scientific consultant with the Environmental Defense Fund in Sacramento.
With some ardent convincing, the Spellmans were convinced to move from their home down to California. It was at this point that Lucy became pregnant and thus, in their new home, they welcomed their new daughter. Martin continued to do scientific work with the EDF, using his experience in the field and in research to help compile information about oceans and trends of waterways relating to American industries or American policies. He essentially served as the main source of the science for the advocacy work that the organization did regarding the oceans and coastal areas. He became more passionate about the subject and by the late 90’s, he had begun transitioning his expertise towards policies. He had helped craft many of them and thus, at the behest of his team and other scientists in the organization, he accepted the position of Scientific Director for Environmental Economics. It certainly put him out of his element as he suddenly went from a job dabbling in economics to one more focused on this topic. He struggled at first but found himself enjoying it as the new century began.
Soon after, due to the Director project taking more time and unable to coordinate from Sacramento, the family moved to San Francisco to the headquarters of the EDF in the West. It was also here were, at the push of Lucy, the pair of Spellmans began to take acting classes. They quickly grew to befriend others there, eventually hosting frequent parties after classes to not only have fun but fill their home as their daughter grew up. It was at this moment that one of their close friends broke through, landing a major role in a film though admittedly, they had been doing more to become an actor than the rests (including the Spellmans) who saw it as a hobby. Nonetheless, as their career began and their friendship continued, this breakthrough returned to Martin, convincing him to star in a minor role as a scientist, wanting him to try it out. Though reluctant, his midlife crisis moved him enough to try to do it to give him a new resurgence of life. And it did, giving him a drive for more roles and with the scientific background, he began to gain other smaller roles.
Finally, in 2004, he left the EDF as he scored a regular appearance in a medical drama in Los Angeles that would last several seasons into 2008. He enjoyed the acting and with Lucy enjoying the new Martin Spellman, he continued to build his filmography record starring in his first non-scientists/doctor role in early 2007 as a minor role before scoring a family movie in 2009. It was also at this moment that he began to heavily drink and rumored to have dabbled in other illegal substances. Lucy and Martin’s agent often fought as the situation deteriorated, a rough year for the family. Eventually, following half a year’s absence from acting, he remerged from therapy and rehab though none of this was officially confirmed nor disclosed. Taking a new take on life and renewed balance, Martin continued to act in movies with larger roles and a revival of the medical show. He continued to gain notoriety and using this, he became a famed user of social media as a way to educate about science. He has become a known scientist celebrity, promoting ways to combat climate change and often using his status to bolster issues across the United States and the world. He has also helped fund and has directly donated towards STEM education and ways to address climate change. It has become his signature issue.
Other Info: Several environmental groups and close friends, knowing Martin Spellman’s scientific and advocacy background, are actively courting him to enter the 2020 Democratic primary presidential race to help establish several policies as mainstream. They believe his celebrity status will make him viable without the regular tarnish of a politician’s ‘other’ views. Some in the political circles in California and in environmental groups will certainly know of this rumor.
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