John Martin played Hank Cummings, father of Meg and Sara Cummings, who relocated to "Sunset Beach" with his wife Joan to be closer to his daughter after losing his family farm in Kansas. Born in Turlock, California, and raised in Colorado and Florida, his first paid acting job came in high school when he crashed a commercial audition and landed a national spot for Great Shakes.

After graduating with a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Florida, Martin built on his political experience by managing a Florida Senate campaign. A few years later, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He replaced Corbin Bernsen as "The Winston Guy" in the company's national commercial campaign and later landed a role on the "Love Boat." In 1986, Martin joined the cast of "One Life To Live" as Jonathan Russell and stayed with the show for five years.

Martin founded Global Green, an environmental organization and has also produced a documentary about the environment. He also has a registered securities broker license and advises clients on financial planning. Martin currently resides in Santa Barbara, California.