*Martin Freeman
(45 years old)
8 September 1971
Aldershot, Hampshire, England, UK
5' 6½" (1,69 m)
(45 years old)
8 September 1971
Aldershot, Hampshire, England, UK
5' 6½" (1,69 m)
Martin Freeman was born on September 8, 1971 in Aldershot, Hampshire, England as Martin John Christopher Freeman.
Trade Mark*
Usually plays mild-mannered characters in extraordinary circumstances
Wide range of expressions and reaction shots
Often plays characters from literary fiction (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Sherlock, The Hobbit)
Distinctive clipped, deliberate delivery of lines
Reserved performances that often feature one or more extremely vocal outbursts
Known for his willful attempts to make each and every take different
Trivia*
He has three older brothers and a sister.
Attended the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England.
Does not drive.
Owns two rescued miniature long-haired dachshunds named Archie and Jodie.
Is the youngest of five children of Geoffrey and Philomena Freeman.
Attended Salesian School, a Catholic secondary school in Chertsey, Surrey.
Comes from an artistic family: older brother, Tim Freeman, was in the 1980s art-pop group, Frazier Chorus; another brother, Jamie Freeman, is a musician and website designer; cousin Ben Norris is a stand-up comic.
Was on the British national squash squad from the age of nine to fourteen.
After his parents divorced, he lived with his father. After his father died (when Martin was ten), he moved back in with his mother and stepfather James.
Is a vegetarian.
The first single he bought was "Ghost Town" by The Specials.
Has appeared with Bill Nighy in Zombies Party (Una noche... de muerte) (2004), Guía del autoestopista galáctico (2005), Arma fatal (2007), Wild Target (2010), Love Actually(2003) and Bienvenidos al fin del mundo (2013). He and Nighy have also both played hobbits. Nighy played "Sam Gamgee" opposite Ian Holm's "Frodo" in the BBC Radio drama of "The Lord of the Rings". Freeman plays the younger version of Holm's "Bilbo" in El Hobbit: Un viaje inesperado (2012), El Hobbit: La desolación de Smaug (2013) and El Hobbit: La batalla de los cinco ejércitos (2014).
Has two children with longtime partner Amanda Abbington: Joseph (born 2006) and Grace (born 2008).
Has worked with many of his predecessors in literary roles: The original Arthur Dent, Simon Jones, made a cameo appearance in Guía del autoestopista galáctico (2005). Ian Holm, who previously played Bilbo Baggins, appeared in El Hobbit: Un viaje inesperado(2012). Jude Law, who has also played Dr. Watson, appeared with him in Breaking and Entering (2006).
Has been in a relationship with actress Amanda Abbington since summer 2000.
Has English and Irish ancestry.
Good friends with Benedict Cumberbatch.
Birthday is four days before that of Ian Holm, who preceded him in the role of Bilbo Baggins.
One episode of "Sherlock" was based on "The Hound of the Baskervilles." A previous film adaptation of the story, El perro de Baskervilles (1959) featured André Morell as Dr. Watson. It also featured John Le Mesurier, who preceded him in the role of Bilbo. In another Tolkien connection, Morell subsequently played Elrond in El señor de los anillos(1978).
Shares the role of Doctor Watson with Jude Law and Bilbo Baggins with Ian Holm. Law and Holm appeared together in El aviador (2004), which is based on the life of Howard Hughes. Freeman appears in Capitán América: Guerra civil (2016), in which the character of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is based on Hughes.
Personal Quotes*
Why does everyone have to pretend to be stupid and not know long words?
God, no. I don't do any of that shit [partying with celebrities]. I've got a stag weekend coming up and I've said I'm not doing anything more than a few drinks. I won't have it. I'll go home and watch Antiques Roadshow (1997).
If I could get bands to come and play in my house, I'd like that. I've never been to a festival. I'm a creature of habit, mashed-potato comfort, I like rugs. Our sofa's squishy. Maybe too squishy - it's hard to get up sometimes.
Most people have a passive relationship with music and clothes, with culture. But music was my first contact with anything creative. Music is it, as far as I'm concerned.
Some people have that roar in their head, but I'm not sure I ever did. That live-fast-die-young thing. No one wants it really - Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin - it's not good. I want to live with Amanda till I'm 70. I was never the kid that went all the way with naughtiness, never got caned or in serious trouble. I always knew when to pull back.
I don't think it was a surprise that I ended up as an actor, and it was anything but a disappointment. My parents gave me the knowledge that reading isn't a bad thing, and admitting to liking a painting doesn't make you an arse-bandit. And that wouldn't have been a problem either.
I'm not a practicing Catholic or I wouldn't be living unwed with a woman, and I don't think all poofs are going to hell, and I don't think everyone who's had an abortion is damned, most of my friends are atheists and I understand atheism, I get it, but I happen to be a theist. I believe in our answerableness to something else.
My mum was Labour-voting, but wanted us to know we were important. Basically, everyone's equal, but you, my children, are a bit better.
Once you've switched that switch [commitment], then, though you notice that other people are great, you're just not interested.
(Gifs and photos: source_Tumblr)
