27 Facts About Martin Freeman

Martin John Christopher Freeman was born on 8 September 1971 and is an English actor.

Martin John Christopher Freeman was born on 8 September 1971 in Aldershot, Hampshire, the youngest of five children.

Martin Freeman's parents, Philomena and naval officer Geoffrey Freeman, separated when he was a child.

Martin Freeman's father died of a heart attack when Freeman was 10 years old.

Martin 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.

Martin 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.

Martin Freeman became notable for his role as Tim Canterbury in The Office, a role which, he said in 2004, "cast a very long shadow" for him as an actor.

Martin Freeman appeared in several films, including Ali G Indahouse and Love Actually.

Martin Freeman 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.

Martin Freeman made a brief appearance in the first episode of the second series of This Life.

Martin Freeman starred in the BBC television series The Robinsons, and had a cameo in Episode 1 of Black Books.

Martin Freeman is featured in the video for Faith No More's cover of "I Started a Joke".

Martin Freeman played Dr John Watson in Sherlock, the BBC contemporary adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes detective stories.

Martin Freeman played lead character Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's three-part The Hobbit film series.

Martin 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.

Martin Freeman was a main cast member in the 2013 finale to the trilogy, The World's End.

Martin Freeman opened in the title role in Shakespeare's play Richard III in July 2014 at Trafalgar Studios.

In 2015, Martin 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.

In 2017, Martin 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.

Martin Freeman portrayed fictional Labour MP David Lyons, whose modernising ideas pit him against the traditional left-wing constituency agent Jean Whittaker.

In June 2018, Martin Freeman was part of To Provide All People, a BBC Wales drama celebrating 70 years of the National Health Service.

Martin Freeman previously lived in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, with actress Amanda Abbington; they were together from 2000 to 2016, and have a son and a daughter.

Martin Freeman is a former pescetarian who returned to eating red meat in 2024.

Martin Freeman is a close friend of actor Simon Pegg, who is the godfather of his son.

In 2011, Martin Freeman umpired a charity cricket match to raise money for victims of the Christchurch earthquake.

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".

Martin Freeman selected music for a 2006 Motown compilation, "Made to Measure", 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.