Paul Freeman (actor)

Freeman was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire, on 18 January 1943.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

Freeman began his career in advertising and teaching, and gained small roles in the theatre, appearing in productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Hamlet. He had roles at the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Freeman made his television debut in 1978 in the serial Will Shakespeare (1978). He also acted in the docudrama Death of a Princess, a film about the execution of Misha'al bint Fahd al Saud of Saudi Arabia. Freeman began his feature film career in 1980 when he appeared in The Long Good Friday and The Dogs of War. In 1981, he played Ralph Wigram in the television series Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years.{{cite news|title= Paul freeman credits |url= https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/paul-freeman/credits/3030298218/ |work= tvguide.com |access-date= January 16, 2024}}

In the same year, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas chose Freeman to play archaeologist René Belloq, the archrival to Indiana Jones, in the adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark, opposite Harrison Ford. The film led to Freeman becoming typecast in villainous roles, especially Nazis.{{cite web|title= Belloq from Indiana Jones |work= eurogamer.net|date=18 April 2008|url= http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/belloq-from-indiana-jones-interview?page=2|access-date=25 December 2017 | first=Ellie | last=Gibson}} He played the conniving wine baron Gustav Riebmann in the fourth season of Falcon Crest, airing in 1984–1985.

Freeman starred as Martin Daniels in the series Yesterday's Dreams in 1987.

In 1988, Freeman played Professor Moriarty in comedy film Without a Clue, which starred Michael Caine as a mini-brained Sherlock Holmes and Ben Kingsley as Watson, who is secretly the real crime-solving genius. In 1995, Freeman was cast as the villain Ivan Ooze in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.

Freeman guest-starred in television shows such as Monarch of the Glen, ER, Falcon Crest, and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. He also played in several mini-series, including Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story (1989), and The Final Cut (1995). In 2004, Freeman played Angus, Bobby Jones' caddie, in Bobby Jones: A Stroke of Genius. During 2006 and 2007, he played Laurence Scammel QC in the drama New Street Law. Also in 2007, he played Rev. Philip Shooter of Sandford in the action comedy film Hot Fuzz.

Among his television work, Freeman has appeared in an episode of Midsomer Murders, titled "Down Among the Dead Men". He also appeared in Waking the Dead in the episode "Straw Dog", and played Adam Kingsley in the BBC adaptation of Minette Walters' The Dark Room. He appeared in Agatha Christie's Poirot in the episode "Appointment with Death", playing Colonel Carbury.

Freeman appeared as George Aaranow in the 2008 London revival of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross.

In 2012, Freeman played Thomas Erpingham in the BBC adaptation of William Shakespeare's Henry V from The Hollow Crown series.

Freeman is married to Maggie Scott, who was his co-star in the 1980 film The Dogs of War.{{cite web |title=When I'm 64 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/07_july/02/when_64_freeman.shtml |publisher=BBC |access-date=28 July 2018 |date=2 July 2004 }} They have one daughter. Freeman was previously married to actress Judy Matheson.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}

Freeman and Scott are both co-founders of the charity UK Friends of Healing Focus (UKHF),{{Cite web|url= http://ukhealingfocus.org/about/the-trustees/|title=UK healingfocus — The Trustees|website= UK healingfocus |access-date= 1 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-date= 1 June 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140601005417/https://ukhealingfocus.org/about/the-trustees/ }} which works in partnership with Uganda NGO, Healing Focus Orphanage Centre.{{Cite web|url= http://ukhealingfocus.org/about/the-trustees/|title= UK healingfocus — Our history|website=UK healingfocus |access-date=1 June 2014|url-status=dead |archive-date= 1 June 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140601005411/http://ukhealingfocus.org/about/our-history/ }} Freeman is a regular visitor to the orphanage.{{cite news|title= Finding Ford – Interview Two – The Raiders Villains (Cardiff 30/10/17) |url= https://www.findingford.com/finding-ford-interview-two-raiders-villains-cardiff/ |work= findingford.com |date=30 October 2017|access-date= January 17, 2024}}

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Category:1943 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century English male actors

Category:21st-century English male actors

Category:Actors from the London Borough of Barnet

Category:English male film actors

Category:English male Shakespearean actors

Category:English male stage actors

Category:English male television actors

Category:English male voice actors

Category:Male actors from Hertfordshire

Category:People from Chipping Barnet

Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members