'Who the best person would be to play Mary and they thought it would be the person who was going out with him' - Sherlock's Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington’s on-screen Romance: Was it meant to be?

Ah, nepotism – that age-old Hollywood tradition! Who needs auditions when you've got connections? Just ask Amanda Abbington, who played Mary Watson on the hit BBC adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock. The nepotism bug bit her, and she's not afraid to admit it!

"The Freeman Connection!" - Amanda Abbington's Inside Scoop on Martin Freeman

"Because I was with Martin at the time, there was a lot of [accusations of] nepotism being banded about. It's true, it was that," Abbington confesses on the Full Disclosure podcast as reported by Screen Rant.

So, what's the story behind this scandalous casting choice? Well, Sherlock's writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat decided that who better to play Watson's wife than the woman who was dating Martin Freeman, aka John Watson himself. A risky choice, but according to Abbington, "It made sense."

"Nepo Babies" Taking Over - Hollywood's Controversial Casting Trend

Sherlock is far from the only culprit in the nepotism game. 2022 has seen a surge in what critics call "nepo babies" – actors cast due to family ties rather than their merit.

Lewis Pullman, Bill Pullman's son, making waves in "Top Gun: Maverick," is a prime example of Hollywood's inclination to keep it all in the family. The question is, does nepotism always hinder performance?

With Abbington's connection to Martin Freeman, she managed to create a believable on-screen relationship in Sherlock. But as the nepotism debate rages on, Hollywood's looking less and less like a meritocracy, and more like an exclusive family affair.

Is nepotism the secret ingredient to a successful on-screen romance? Did Martin Freeman's off-screen relationship with Abbington add that extra sparkle to Sherlock's dynamic duo? Or is this yet another example of Hollywood's problematic casting habits?

As the curtains fall, one thing's for sure – nepotism may not be Sherlock's biggest problem, but it's certainly making waves in Tinseltown. Stay tuned as we unravel this mystery - and many more - from the land of glitz and glamour!

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)