The winner of an Emmy Award, a BAFTA award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award, Martin Freeman started his acting career in the 90s with mostly stage and TV roles. He shot to prominence with his role as the mischievous Tim Canterbury in the original UK version of the TV show The Office in 2001, winning him his first BAFTA nomination. Subsequently, he became a credible actor playing award-winning roles over the years.
Martin Freeman’s most iconic appearances include his roles in movies like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Hobbit Trilogy, Black Panther, The World’s End, and TV shows like Charles II: The Power and The Passion, Sherlock, Fargo, etc.
3 Starting At An Early Age
Martin Freeman was born on 8 September 1971 in Hampshire, UK. His parents were separated very early in childhood, and his father passed away when he was just 10. Martin grew up with his older siblings, and two of his brothers, Tim Freeman and Jamie Freeman, joined the entertainment industry as musicians. Martin started developing a keen interest in theater at the age of 15, making him join the Central School of Speech and Drama as per The Famous People.
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His passion for acting made him join Brookland College at 17, where he graduated with a degree in media studies. He was active in theater during the 90s, and in 1997, he bagged his first role in the TV show The Bill. His performance was quite well received, and he got a series of new parts, including guest appearances in TV shows like This Life and Casualty. Following this, he appeared in several supporting roles in short films and TV shows like I Just Want to Kiss You, Picking up the Pieces, etc.
2 ‘The Office’ Being A Tuning Point In His Career
After starring in several TV shows and short movies in the 90s, Martin Freeman landed his breakthrough role in 2001 with the Ricky Gervais-directed hit show, The Office. He played the role of salesman cum prankster Tim Canterbury to perfection, and the show became a roaring success. Martin also received his first BAFTA nomination for Best Comedy Performance as per IMDB, alongside several other awards, thus launching him into the mainstream.
Following Martin Freeman’s immediate success after The Office, he landed pivotal roles in several movies and TV shows. He appeared in TV shows like Hardware and movies like Ali G Indahouse and Love Actually. His role in The Office proved to be a boon and a bane for Martin as he started getting typecast in only comic roles. But in 2003, he released himself from the shackles of comic roles and gave a powerful performance in the BBC drama Charles II: The Power and The Passion playing the role of Lord Shaftesbury.
Martin Freeman kept replicating his success in TV and movies in the coming years. He played the role of Arthur Dent in the 2005 movie The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and also played a cameo in the zombie movie Shaun Of The Dead. His career reached new heights in 2006 after he starred in a string of hit movies like Confetti, Breaking and Entering, and Dedication. He kept starring in substantial roles in TV shows along with his success on the big screen.
1 Freeman At His Peak
Martin Freeman’s career peaked in 2010 when he landed the role of Dr. Watson in BBC’s blockbuster spy drama Sherlock. He played the part of the right-hand man of the renowned detective Sherlock Holmes, played by no other than Benedict Cumberbatch. Martin’s role as Dr. Watson earned him critical acclaim and was his most iconic role to date. He bagged a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie and a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor for his outstanding performance, as per The Guardian.
From here onwards, Martin Freeman’s career went only upward and reached the absolute pinnacle of success. Just after 2011, when he was busy collecting accolades for his Sherlock performance, he bagged the titular role in the gargantuan Hobbit Trilogy of Peter Jackson. In 2012 he played the role of Bilbo Baggins in the first installment of The Hobbit Trilogy and reprised his roles in the following movies. The trilogy grossed almost $3 Billion worldwide, with An Unexpected Journey grossing $1.017 billion worldwide, making it Martin’s highest-grossing film. For his role as Bilbo Baggins, he bagged the Best Hero award at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards, as reported by Fandom.
After Martin Freeman’s unparalleled success in The Hobbit, he immediately delivered another powerhouse performance in the 2014 dark comedy Fargo playing Lester Nygaard. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Critics’ Choice Television Award for his role. Martin starred in blockbuster MCU movies like Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, and Wakanda Forever as Everett K. Ross. He will reprise his role in the 2023 MCU TV show Secret Invasion.
Martin Freeman overcame the setback of getting typecast after his The Office role and immediately proved himself as a capable actor. He has established himself as a highly talented and versatile actor with enormous success in television and movies. He has become a full-fledged Hollywood A-lister with multiple accolades and nominations.
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Sources – Fandom, The Guardian, IMDB, The Famous People
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