Martin Freeman

Martin John Christopher Freeman{{cite web|title=Martin Freeman (April 2012)|url=http://slowboatrecords.co.nz/the-slow-boat-inquisition/martin-freeman-april-2011/|publisher=Slow Boat Records|access-date=29 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200130043631/http://slowboatrecords.co.nz/the-slow-boat-inquisition/martin-freeman-april-2011/|archive-date=30 January 2020}} was born on 8 September 1971 in Aldershot, Hampshire,{{cite web|title=Freeman, Martin (b. 1971)|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/541286/index.html|publisher=BFI Screenonline|last=Larman|first=Alexander|access-date=1 January 2012}} the youngest of five children. His parents, Philomena (née Norris) and naval officer Geoffrey Freeman, separated when he was a child.{{specify|date=May 2020}} His father died of a heart attack when Freeman was 10 years old.{{cite news|title=Interview: Martin Freeman, Actor|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/interview-martin-freeman-actor-1-472465|date=27 November 2009|publisher=The Scotsman}}

Freeman's paternal grandfather, Leonard W. Freeman, was a medic in the British Expeditionary Force during World War II and was killed in action at Dunkirk just a few days before the Dunkirk evacuation.{{cite web|title=Martin Freeman|url=http://www.whodoyouthinkyouaremagazine.com/episode/martin-freeman|publisher=Who Do You Think You Are?|access-date=3 July 2012}} Leonard's father, Richard, was born blind and worked as a piano tuner and organist.

Freeman was raised in his mother's Catholic faith, and attended the Salesian School in Chertsey, Surrey, before attending Brooklands College in nearby Weybridge for media studies.{{cite news|last=Viner|first=Brian|date=30 November 2012|title=Martin Freeman: No ordinary Bilbo Baggins|work=The Independent|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/martin-freeman-no-ordinary-bilbo-baggins-8372536.html}} His older brother, Tim, became a singer with the group Frazier Chorus.

File:Martin Freeman during filming of Sherlock cropped.jpg in May 2011]]

Freeman attended the Central School of Speech and Drama and has appeared in at least 18 TV shows, 14 theatre productions, and several radio productions. He became notable for his role as Tim Canterbury in The Office (2001–2003), a role which, he said in 2004, "cast a very long shadow" for him as an actor.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2004/feb/22/features.review7|title=Tim for a change|date=22 February 2004|work=Guardian|access-date=15 August 2015|location=London|first=Stephanie|last=Meritt}} He appeared in the sitcom Hardware (2003–2004). He also appeared in several films, including Ali G Indahouse (2002) and Love Actually (2003).

He began to move into more serious dramatic roles on television with his appearance as Lord Shaftesbury in the 2003 BBC historical drama Charles II: The Power and The Passion. He made a brief appearance in the first episode of the second series of This Life. He starred in the BBC television series The Robinsons, and had a cameo in Episode 1 of Black Books. In 2007, he appeared in The All Together written and directed by Gavin Claxton, and in the Bill Kenwright theatre production of The Last Laugh. He is featured in the video for Faith No More's cover of "I Started a Joke".{{cite AV media |type=YouTube video |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKDo6g4CCeU |title="Faith No More — I Started A Joke (Official Music Video)"|date=21 February 2014|access-date=5 August 2016}} In May 2009, he starred in Boy Meets Girl, a four-part drama that charts the progress of characters Veronica and Danny after an accident which causes them to swap bodies.[http://tv.sky.com/boy-meets-girl-interview-martin-freeman Boy Meets Girl Interview: Martin Freeman profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502175201/http://tv.sky.com/boy-meets-girl-interview-martin-freeman |date=2 May 2009 }}, Tv.sky.com (30 April 2009); retrieved 27 August 2011.

He played Dr. John Watson in Sherlock, the BBC contemporary adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Its first episode, "A Study in Pink", was broadcast on 25 July 2010 to critical acclaim. For the role, Freeman won the 2011 BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Freeman played lead character Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's three-part The Hobbit film series.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11604193|title=Martin Freeman to play Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit|date=22 October 2010|work=BBC News|access-date=24 October 2010}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2010/oct/22/hobbit-martin-freeman-bilbo-baggins|title=Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, a match made in Hobbit heaven|date=22 October 2010|work=Guardian|access-date=24 October 2010|location=London|first=Ben|last=Child}} For his performance in the first part, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Freeman won Best Hero at the 2013 MTV Movie AwardsCalautti, Katie (15 April 2013). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130418070150/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1705658/bilbo-baggins-best-hero-movie-awards-2013.jhtml "Bilbo Baggins Beats Snow White For Best Hero At MTV Movie Awards"]. MTV Movie Awards. and Best Actor at the 18th Empire Awards.Szalai, Georg (25 March 2013). [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/empire-awards-skyfall-sam-mendes-430635 Sam Mendes Win Empire Awards in U.K. for 'Skyfall'], The Hollywood Reporter.

File:Martin Freeman, BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2016 at The Royal Albert Hall (26118668654).jpg, The Royal Albert Hall, April 2016]]

Freeman appeared in all three films of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright's comedic Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, commencing with a brief non-speaking role in Shaun of the Dead as Yvonne's boyfriend, Declan, followed by a brief cameo in Hot Fuzz as a police officer. He was a main cast member in the 2013 finale to the trilogy, The World's End. On 5 October 2013, he was presented with a fellowship bearing his name by the members of University College Dublin's Literary & Historical Society. In April 2014, he played insurance salesman Lester Nygaard in the dark comedy-crime drama series Fargo,{{cite news|last=Anthony|first=Andrew|date=19 April 2014|title=Martin Freeman interview: 'I had no interest in Fargo just being a TV version of the film'|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/apr/20/martin-freeman-interview-fargo-tv-version-hobbit-sherlock-coen-brothers|access-date=12 May 2014}} for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award,{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/emmy-nominations-2014-list-emmys-nominees-1201260236/ |title=2014 Emmy Awards: 'Game of Thrones,' 'Fargo' Lead Nominations |work=Variety |first=Brian |last=Lowry |date=10 July 2014 |access-date=12 January 2016}} a Golden Globe Award,{{cite web |url=https://tvline.com/2015/01/11/golden-globe-winners-2015-golden-globes-awards-winner-list/ |title=Golden Globes 2015: Gina Rodriguez, Transparent, The Affair Win Big |publisher=TVLine |first=Andy |last=Swift |date=11 January 2015 |access-date=12 January 2016}} and a Critics' Choice Television Award.{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/critics-choice-awards-scandal-breaking-bad-orange-is-the-new-black-1201224259/ |title=Critics' Choice Awards: 'Breaking Bad,' 'OITNB,' 'Fargo,' 'Normal Heart' Among Top Winners |first=Laura |last=Prudom |work=Variety |date=20 June 2014 |access-date=12 January 2016}} He opened in the title role in Shakespeare's play Richard III in July 2014 at Trafalgar Studios.{{cite web|title=Richard III|url=http://www.trafalgartransformed.com/whats-on/richard-iii|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511224520/http://trafalgartransformed.com/whats-on/richard-iii|archive-date=11 May 2014|access-date=26 September 2014|website=Trafalgar Transformed}}

In 2015, Freeman starred as producer Milton Fruchtman in the television film The Eichmann Show, based on blacklisted TV director Leo Hurwitz's filming of the 1961 trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann. It intercut dramatic scenes with historical footage from the trial. The Daily Telegraph described it as "absolutely enthralling".{{cite web|author=O’Donovan|first=Gerard|date=20 January 2015|title=The Eichmann Show, review: 'absolutely enthralling'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11355086/eichmann-show.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11355086/eichmann-show.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=20 January 2015|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|last=McLean|first=Craig|date=18 January 2015|title=Martin Freeman interview: The actor on hobbits, Cumbermania and his Nazi-hounding role in The Eichmann Show|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/martin-freeman-interview-the-actor-on-hobbits-cumbermania-and-his-nazihounding-role-in-the-eichmann-show-9983829.html|access-date=20 January 2015|work=The Independent}} Freeman also played Everett K. Ross,{{Cite book|last=Braun|first=J.W.|title=The Lord of the Films|publisher=ECW Press|year=2010}} a Central Intelligence Agency agent in Captain America: Civil War, which was released in May 2016.{{cite web|last=De Semlyen|first=Phil|date=22 February 2016|title=Martin Freeman's Captain America: Civil War character revealed|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/martin-freeman-captain-america-civil-war-character-revealed/|access-date=22 February 2016|work=Empire}}

In 2017, Freeman starred in Cargo, a feature-length remake of a 2013 short film of the same name, which premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival on 6 August 2017.{{cite web|last=Keast|first=Jackie|date=2 August 2017|title=Cargo' set for world premiere at Adelaide Film Festival|url=https://www.if.com.au/cargo-make-world-premiere-adelaide-film-festival/|website=if.com.au}}{{cite web|url=http://www.slashfilm.com/cargo-first-look/|work=/Film|title='Cargo' First Look: Martin Freeman Stars in the Zombie-Infested Drama|date=24 September 2016|first=Jack|last=Giroux}} Later that year he appeared opposite Tamsin Greig in Labour of Love, a political comedy by James Graham, at the Noël Coward Theatre.{{cite web|last=O'Hanlon|first=Dom|date=19 May 2017|title=Martin Freeman and Sarah Lancashire star in James Graham's Labour of Love at the Noel Coward Theatre|url=https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/martin-freeman-and-sarah-lancashire-star-in-james-grahams-labour-of-love-at-the|access-date=19 May 2017|work=londontheatre.co.uk}} Freeman portrayed fictional Labour MP David Lyons, whose modernising ideas pit him against the traditional left-wing constituency agent Jean Whittaker (Greig).

In 2018, he reprised his role as Everett K. Ross in Black Panther, which was set around two weeks after the event in Captain America: Civil War, making it his second appearance in Marvel Cinematic Universe.{{Cite web|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/911591-black-panther-character-bios-released-new-preview-coming-next-week#/slide/1|title=Black Panther Character Bios Released, New Preview Coming Next Week|last=Perry|first=Spencer|publisher=ComingSoon.net|date=January 2, 2018|access-date=January 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103072421/http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/911591-black-panther-character-bios-released-new-preview-coming-next-week|archive-date=January 3, 2018|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/11/20/black-panther-martin-freeman/|title=Black Panther's Martin Freeman Talks About His Character's Journey|last=Schmidt|first=Joseph|publisher=ComicBook.com|date=November 19, 2017|access-date=November 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121104911/http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/11/20/black-panther-martin-freeman/|archive-date=21 November 2017|url-status=dead}} Between May 2017 and July 2019, he starred in numerous adverts for Vodafone.

In June 2018, Freeman was part of To Provide All People, a BBC Wales drama celebrating 70 years of the National Health Service.{{Cite web|date=11 April 2018|title=BBC Wales marks NHS at 70 with all-star production To Provide All People|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2018/to-provide-all-people|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}

Since March 2020, Freeman has starred in the FX/Sky One comedy series Breeders, of which he is also a creator and executive producer.{{Cite web|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|date=14 October 2018|title=Martin Freeman Comedy 'Breeders' Lands FX Series Order|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/martin-freeman-comedy-breeders-lands-fx-series-order-1152206|access-date=2020-02-22|website=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en}} On 18 May 2020 FX and Sky One renewed it for a second season.{{Cite web|title=Breaking News - "Breeders" Returns for a Second Series - Critically Acclaimed Sky Original Starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard {{!}} TheFutonCritic.com|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2020/05/18/breeders-returns-for-a-second-series-critically-acclaimed-sky-original-starring-martin-freeman-and-daisy-haggard-907111/20200518sky01/|access-date=2020-09-02|website=www.thefutoncritic.com}}

Freeman lives in the Belsize Park area of London.{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/2f0d56bc-c657-11e6-8f29-9445cac8966f|title=Martin Freeman on Sherlock, politics and why he's not on Twitter|newspaper=Financial Times|date=22 December 2016|access-date=22 December 2016|last1=Mance|first1=Henry}} He previously lived in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, with actress Amanda Abbington; they were together from 2000 to 2016, and have a son and a daughter.{{cite web|last=McLean|first=Craig|title=Amanda Abbington: Sherlock's Martin and Benedict have a fantastic chemistry|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-05-26/amanda-abbington-sherlocks-martin-and-benedict-have-a-fantastic-chemistry|publisher=Radio Times|access-date=6 February 2014|date=26 May 2013}} They appeared together in productions such as Sherlock, Swinging with the Finkels, The Debt, The Robinsons, and The All Together. On 22 December 2016, it was reported that they had separated.{{Cite web|last=Mance|first=Henry|date=22 December 2016|title=Martin Freeman on Sherlock, politics and why he's not on Twitter|url=https://www.ft.com/content/2f0d56bc-c657-11e6-8f29-9445cac8966f|access-date=17 August 2020|website=The Financial Times|language=en-GB}}

Freeman is a former pescetarian[https://web.archive.org/web/20230301035033/https://sherlockshome.net/2016/09/11/10-things-you-never-knew-about-martin-freeman/ "10 Things You Never Knew About Martin Freeman"]. sherlockshome.net. Retrieved 19 July 2022. who returned to eating red meat in 2024.{{Cite web|last=McTaggart|first=India|date=2024|title=Actor Martin Freeman eats pork pies again after 38 years|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/01/martin-freeman-eating-meat-again-substitutes-very-processed|website=The Telegraph|language=en-GB|archive-date=May 1, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501230224/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/01/martin-freeman-eating-meat-again-substitutes-very-processed/|url-status=live}} He is a non-practising Catholic.{{Cite news | last = Pelly |first=Rich |title=Martin Freeman: 'I'm one of few people in my family who would ever unironically go into a church' | work= The Guardian |url=https://theguardian.com/culture/2022/jul/16/martin-freeman-actor-this-much-i-know | date = 16 July 2022 |access-date=5 November 2022}} He is a close friend of actor Simon Pegg, who is the godfather of his son.{{cite web|url= http://crazyformartinfreeman.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/rough-transcript-from-hitchhikers-guide.html|title=The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Q&A|date=8 July 2013|publisher=blogspot.co.uk|access-date=13 January 2017}} Freeman's personal style follows that of British mod subculture, and he cites Paul Weller as one of his heroes and influences on his style.{{Cite news|last=Franklin-Wallis|first=Oliver|date=13 December 2013|title=GQ&A: Martin Freeman on the Hobbit, Sherlock erotica and why he hates stylists|work=GQ|url=http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/martin-freeman-interview-the-hobbit-sherlock|access-date=6 March 2018}}{{Cite news|last=Holden|first=Michael|date=5 December 2012|title=Martin Freeman Always Looks Sharp|language=en-GB|work=Esquire|url=https://www.esquire.com/uk/style/news/a188/martin-freeman-always-looks-sharp/|access-date=6 March 2018}}

In 2011, Freeman umpired a charity cricket match to raise money for victims of the Christchurch earthquake.{{cite web|author=NZPA and Greer McDonald|title=Charity Match Benefits Christchurch Effort|url=http://therugbycorner.com/2011/04/charity-match-benefits-christchurch-effort.html|work=The Rugby Corner|date=April 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140927052147/http://therugbycorner.com/2011/04/charity-match-benefits-christchurch-effort.html|archive-date=27 September 2014}}

Freeman's brother, singer-songwriter and website designer Jamie Freeman,{{Cite news|url = https://www.theguardian.com/film/2005/apr/17/features.magazine|title = Master of the universe|date = 17 April 2005|accessdate = 6 December 2022|work = The Guardian |last = Sawyer|first = Miranda}} died of brain cancer in December 2022.{{cite web |title=Jamie |url=https://adactio.com/journal/19720 |website=Adactio |access-date=6 December 2022 |date=5 December 2022}}

Freeman is a fan of soul, Motown and jazz music, and presented an episode of BBC Two's The Culture Show in 2009 titled "Martin Freeman Goes to Motown".{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gpb2s|title=Martin Freeman Goes to Motown, 2008/2009, The Culture Show Uncut – BBC Two|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=6 March 2018}} He also selected music for a 2006 Motown compilation, "Made to Measure",{{Citation|title=Martin Freeman Presents... Made To Measure|date=2 February 2006|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Martin-Freeman-Presents-Made-Measure/dp/B000E0W1IA|publisher=Commercial Marketing|access-date=6 March 2018}} and worked on a jazz compilation with his friend Eddie Piller, "Jazz on the Corner"; released on Acid Jazz Records on 23 March 2018, it features tracks by Kamasi Washington and The Brand New Heavies.{{Cite web|date=19 January 2018|title=Acid Jazz Records {{!}} Martin Freeman and Eddie Piller present Jazz On The Corner|url=http://www.acidjazz.co.uk/martin-freeman-and-eddie-piller-present-jazz-on-the-corner/|access-date=6 March 2018|website=www.acidjazz.co.uk|language=en-US|archive-date=3 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303050543/http://www.acidjazz.co.uk/martin-freeman-and-eddie-piller-present-jazz-on-the-corner/|url-status=dead}} The pair presented Craig Charles' Funk and Soul Show on 31 March 2018.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09x8cl5|title=Martin Freeman and Eddie Piller sit in, The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show – BBC Radio 6 Music|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=10 April 2018}} In 2019, a follow-up album, "Soul on the Corner", was announced, with tracks by Leroy Hutson and Bobby Womack.{{Cite web|url=https://www.acidjazz.co.uk/martin-freeman-eddie-piller-present-soul-on-the-corner/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405214517/https://www.acidjazz.co.uk/martin-freeman-eddie-piller-present-soul-on-the-corner/|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 April 2019|title=Acid Jazz Records {{!}} Martin Freeman & Eddie Piller present Soul On The Corner|website=www.acidjazz.co.uk|access-date=2019-04-05}}

Freeman is a supporter of the Labour Party. As a teenager, he supported the now-defunct political group Militant and volunteered with the Labour Party Young Socialists. In 2015, he appeared in a party political broadcast to endorse the Labour Party ahead of the 2015 UK general election.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/30/hobbit-star-martin-freeman-appears-in-labour-election-broadcast |title=Hobbit star Martin Freeman appears in Labour election broadcast |last1=Mason |first1=Rowena|date=3 April 2015 |website=theguardian.com|access-date=3 April 2015}} In August 2015, he supported Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election.{{cite news |last=Wylie|first=Catherine|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/sherlock-star-martin-freeman-backs-jeremy-corbyn-as-most-impressive-31483980.html|title=Sherlock star Martin Freeman backs Jeremy Corbyn as 'most impressive'|location=Belfast|newspaper=Belfast Telegraph|date=28 August 2015|access-date=15 July 2017}}

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Category:1971 births

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