Martin Freeman | |
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Freeman filming Sherlock in 2010
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Born |
Martin John Christopher Freeman 8 September 1971 Aldershot, Hampshire, England, UK |
Residence | Belsize Park, London, England |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1997–present |
Partner(s) | Amanda Abbington (2000–2016) |
Children | 2 |
Martin John Christopher Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor, who became known for portraying Tim Canterbury in the original UK version of sitcom mockumentary The Office, Dr. John Watson in the British crime drama Sherlock, Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy, and Lester Nygaard in the dark comedy-crime drama TV series Fargo.
His other notable film roles include the romantic comedy Love Actually (2003), the comic science fiction film The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), the semi-improvised comedy Nativity! (2009), and the comedic Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, most prominently in the sci-fi comedy The World's End (2013). Among other accolades, he has won an Emmy Award, BAFTA Award and an Empire Award, with nominations including two other Emmy Awards, two other BAFTA Awards, a Saturn Award, and a Golden Globe Award.
Freeman was born in Aldershot, Hampshire, the youngest of five children. His parents, Philomena (née Norris) and Geoffrey Freeman, a naval officer, separated when Freeman was a child. When Freeman was 10 years old, his father died of a heart attack. Freeman attended the Salesian School, Chertsey before attending Brooklands College for media studies. His older brother Tim became a musician with the group Frazier Chorus.