As an American I thought Martin Freeman was absolutely perfect as Arthur Dent in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. More recently, I loved his performance as Dr. Watson in the BBC show Sherlock. I’m somewhat embarrassed to confess that I only recently learned that he played (is playing) Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. The first movie, unfortunately, came out right in the middle of my job being busy as all hell and I didn’t get to see it in the theater.
I just stumbled across this British talk show interview from a few years back:
The guy basically strikes me as the "Tom Hanks of England" (and I say that as a fan of Tom Hanks since his "Bachelor Party" days). I think he's brilliant.
He’s also known over here for his role of Tim Canterbury in the original version of The Office.
For that role and the ones you mention in the OP I would say that he is well respected and recognised, but as a good actor rather than as celebrity magazine fodder. He certainly doesn’t seem to garner that kind of attention as much as say Gerard Butler, Daniel Craig, Clive Owen, Jude Law etc probably due to his unassuming/everyman personality and looks.
So I’d say well known, well respected, well liked, but not “big time”.
He’s a well known face on British TV, alongside many others. I would say he’s held in general affection and respect for his work, but he’s nowhere near the superstardom of Tom Hanks.
I will always remember him for his star turn in the incredibly popular* sitcom Hardware (also starring Peter Serafinowicz, and Ryan Cartwright from Alphas).
Actually, before Sherlock, most Americans would’ve known him from Love Actually. He plays one of the movie sex-scene stand-ins.
Except isn’t gravity like, 6 times stronger here than in England or something? (I vaguely remember something about it in Cosmos.)
He didn’t get big here after Hitchhiker but with the success of Sherlock and Hobbit I’m seeing his name a whole lot more on lady’s facebook pages. A lot of sci-fi geekesses I know who have long wanted to join David Tennant’s harem would settle for Freeman’s.
I meant the comparison more as a reference to the two actors’ style or “type”, i.e. both seem to be good at the “everyman” characters, though with Hanks that applied more to the early part of his career.
The Office was very much an ensemble cast. Excepting Ricky Gervais, I wouldn’t say that any of the actors became household names at the time the series aired, aside from amongst afficionados of the show and comedy buffs.
I’d posit that Freeman has become famous for that role in hindsight and the light cast by his increasing body of work since.
I read Morgan Freeman in the title. When reading the OP, I was confused for a few minutes. I didn’t remember who played Dent Arthur Dent, but was pretty sure it wasn’t an old black dude.
Hitchhiker would have opened with a narration. “I remember exactly where I was the day the world ended, but I still don’t know what the hell 42 meant”…
