Delve into the career of Martin Freeman, whose rise to fame--through
such roles as Dr. John Watson and Bilbo Baggins--has made him one of the
greatest actors of his generation
Martin Freeman is one of Britain's best-loved actors. After being cast
in bit parts and cameos--such as The Bill (his first onscreen role) and
the beat-boxing Ricky C in Ali G Indahouse--he made his big break as Tim
Canterbury in The Office. Freeman was later cast, among other roles,
as the mundane character of Arthur Dent in the sci-fi movie adaption of
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and, labeled an "everyday" bloke
by journalists, began to run the risk of being stereotyped. However, in
2010 he completely turned his career around when he took on the role of
Dr. John Watson in the incredibly successful Sherlock. His biggest
role followed as he portrayed Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy and,
in recent years, Freeman has shown a dark edge to his thespian skills by
portraying Richard III in the West End and Lester Nygaard in the
critically acclaimed US drama series Fargo. An intensely private man,
Freeman is in a long-term relationship with the actress Amanda
Abbington, whom he met on the set of the 2000 Channel 4 TV movie Men
Only and who played his on-screen partner in Sherlock. The
Unexpected Adventures of Martin Freeman explores the rise to fame of
this unassuming actor, how he has successfully managed to avoid the
pitfalls of stardom, and how he has become one of the greatest actors of
his generation. It is a must-read for any fan.
