'Sherlock was no fun': Martin Freeman's honest admission amid breakup
Amid his split with Amanda Abbington, Martin Freeman recounts the challenges of filming Sherlock and his rare chemistry with co-star Benedict Cumberbatch.
Updated : October 20, 2023 05:25 PM ISTAmid his split with Amanda Abbington, Martin Freeman recounts the challenges of filming Sherlock and his rare chemistry with co-star Benedict Cumberbatch.
Diving deep into the intricacies of filming during a relationship fallout, Martin Freeman shared his candid experiences on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, as reported by The Guardian. Freeman, remembered for his on-screen partnership with Amanda Abbington in Sherlock, recalled the final days of their 16-year relationship which coincided with the shooting of the popular series.
"Sherlock was no Fun": Freeman's Candid Reflections
Freeman, then 47, and Abbington announced their separation in 2016, deciding to maintain their bond as friends for the sake of their two children and shared history. “I wanted to be civil for us, because when you’ve loved someone for that long and they have been such an integral part of your life, what – that is supposed to not count now?” He believed that he and Abbington were co-parenting "pretty well, really".
Despite their enduring friendship, Freeman disclosed that the final days of shooting Sherlock were emotionally taxing. “By the time of the last Sherlock that we’ve done we were sort of in the midst of splitting up,” he confessed. However, until then, he genuinely loved working with Abbington, playing John and Mary Watson.
"Fairly Rare" Chemistry and Fan Frenzy: The Sherlock Journey
In the same conversation, Freeman lauded his unique chemistry with Benedict Cumberbatch, who played the titular Sherlock Holmes in the BBC hit show. Such camaraderie, he claimed, is "fairly rare".
"Probably nothing I’ve done... has resonated with certain parts of the world’s population the same way Sherlock has. It just hit a lot of buttons for people,” Freeman expressed. Despite the intense fan fervor, sometimes bordering on the extreme, the actor embraced the audience's passion, even when it presented "challenging" scenarios.
Freeman is now focusing on a new sitcom, Breeders, a collaboration with Simon Blackwell and Chris Addison. He sees the show as a way to channel the shocking reality of parenthood, a realm he describes as "about 47 light years away from not being a parent". Amidst all the chaos and challenges, Martin Freeman continues to captivate us with his honest dialogue and powerful performances.
(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)