Martin Freeman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martin Freeman
Freeman in 2019
Born	Martin John Christopher Freeman (1971-09-08) 8 September 1971 (age 53) Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Alma mater	Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1997–present
Partner(s)	Amanda Abbington (2000–2016)
Children	2

Martin John Christopher Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is a famous English actor. He has won many awards, including two Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Freeman is well-known for playing Tim Canterbury in the TV show The Office (2001–2003). He also played Dr. John Watson in the detective series Sherlock (2010–2017). He starred as young Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014). Other big roles include Lester Nygaard in the first season of Fargo (2014) and Chris Carson in The Responder.

He has also been in many movies. These include the romantic comedy Love Actually (2003) and the horror comedy Shaun of the Dead (2004). He appeared in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) and Hot Fuzz (2007). Since 2016, he has played Everett K. Ross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You can see him in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), and the Disney+ series Secret Invasion (2023).

Early life and family

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

His parents, Philomena and Geoffrey Freeman, separated when he was young. His father, who was a naval officer, passed away when Martin was 10 years old.

Martin's grandfather, Leonard W. Freeman, was a medic during World War II. He was killed in action at Dunkirk just before the famous Dunkirk evacuation. His great-grandfather, Richard, was born blind. He worked as a piano tuner and music teacher.

Freeman was raised in the Catholic faith. He went to the Salesian School in Chertsey, Surrey. Later, he studied media at Brooklands College in Weybridge. His older brother, Tim, became a singer in a group called Frazier Chorus.

Acting career

Freeman filming Sherlock in May 2011

Martin Freeman studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama. He has been in many TV shows, plays, and radio shows. He became well-known for his role as Tim Canterbury in The Office (2001–2003). He also appeared in the sitcom Hardware (2003–2004). He was in films like Ali G Indahouse (2002) and Love Actually (2003).

Later, he started taking on more serious acting roles. He played Lord Shaftesbury in the BBC drama Charles II: The Power and The Passion (2003). In 2009, he starred in Boy Meets Girl, a drama where characters swap bodies.

He played Dr. John Watson in Sherlock. This was a modern BBC show based on the Sherlock Holmes stories. The first episode, "A Study in Pink", was very popular. For this role, Freeman won a BAFTA award in 2011. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award.

Freeman took on the main role of Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's three Hobbit movies. For his acting in the first movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, he won Best Hero at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards. He also won Best Actor at the 18th Empire Awards.

Freeman at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, The Royal Albert Hall, April 2016

He was in all three movies of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. He had small roles in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. He was a main actor in the last movie, The World's End (2013). In April 2014, he played insurance salesman Lester Nygaard in the TV series Fargo. This role earned him nominations for an Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Critics' Choice Television Award. In July 2014, he played the main role in Shakespeare's play Richard III.

In 2015, Freeman starred in The Eichmann Show. This TV movie was about the filming of the trial of a Nazi war criminal. He also played Everett K. Ross, a Central Intelligence Agency agent, in Captain America: Civil War (2016).

In 2017, Freeman starred in Cargo, a movie about a zombie outbreak. Later that year, he was in the play Labour of Love. In 2018, he played Everett K. Ross again in Black Panther. This was his second time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Since March 2020, Freeman has starred in the comedy series Breeders. He also helped create and produce the show.

Personal life and interests

Martin Freeman lives in Belsize Park in London. He used to live with actress Amanda Abbington in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. They were together from 2000 to 2016 and have two children. They acted together in shows like Sherlock and The Robinsons. They separated in 2016.

Freeman used to be a pescetarian, meaning he ate fish but no other meat. In 2024, he started eating red meat again. He is a non-practising Catholic. He is good friends with actor Simon Pegg, who is the godfather of his son. Freeman likes the British mod subculture style. He looks up to musician Paul Weller for his style.

In 2011, Freeman helped with a charity cricket match. It raised money for people affected by the 2011 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand.

Sadly, Freeman's brother, Jamie Freeman, who was a singer-songwriter, passed away from brain cancer in 2022.

Music interests

Freeman loves soul, Motown, and jazz music. In 2009, he presented a TV show called "Martin Freeman Goes to Motown". He also helped choose songs for a Motown music collection called "Made to Measure" in 2006. He worked on a jazz collection called "Jazz on the Corner" with his friend Eddie Piller. It was released in 2018. In 2019, they announced a follow-up album called "Soul on the Corner".

Political views

Martin Freeman supports the Labour Party in the UK. When he was a teenager, he supported a political group called Militant. In 2015, he appeared in a broadcast to support the Labour Party before the general election.

Filmography

Film roles

Television roles

Awards and achievements

Martin Freeman has won and been nominated for many awards for his acting.

See also

In Spanish: Martin Freeman para niños