Read Online The Unexpected Adventures of Martin Freeman by Neil Daniels - Free Book Online
Authors: Neil Daniels
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definitely there, but I thought that the stakes had to be genuine because he’s a man whose day starts badly, and within ten minutes of the film, his planet’s gone. So all of his reference points, every single thing that he’s ever known or thought he knew or will ever know has gone.’
The filming process was laborious because it was necessary for Freeman to wear a thick dressing gown throughout the summer, as seen in the film. The days were long and hot. On top of that, Martin was envious of Mos Def’s and Zooey Deschanel’s attire, feeling unglamorous in comparison. The young actor got along really well with Mos Def – they spoke about music the whole time. Freeman also found him very easy to work with and considered Mos to be an all-round ‘top bloke’.
Working on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was a different experience for Freeman because it was a much bigger-scale production than anything he had worked on previously. He had a sense that there was a lot of money floating around because of the film sets, and there was a much bigger crew than he was used to and more people around on set. He enjoyed getting lifts in nice cars to and from the location each day and there was more choice on the menu when it was time to eat. Coming from a background in British TV and theatre, this was the sort of service he was unused to. The one thing that he foundwas a bit of a drag was the boredom that sinks in in-between shoots because organising sets takes longer for films than for TV.
Much of the film’s cast is American, though the books are British and it was filmed in London with a British crew, yet Freeman felt like the only Brit on set at times.
‘I think people’s fear – well certainly British people’s fear – is that it would be completely Hollywoodized or morphed into this thing where the stuff we initially cared about is no longer there,’ he explained to Movie Web ’s Julian Roman. ‘I believe and hope people don’t feel that’s happened. Occasionally I would feel like the only Limey in town. I felt it was in good hands. No one was on board to scuttle it. They all wanted to serve the film and make something good happen. We were all on the same side.’
To his ongoing frustration, Freeman is seen as the everyday British man. Dent is not written as a hero or a screen icon in the vein of James Bond. He’s the last surviving human and just an average, flawed bloke. He has a job he isn’t enamoured by and has little luck with women. These are things many men can relate too. Freeman just wanted to be real and funny, that’s all. A great deal was riding on him as the main character and linchpin of the story.
‘I could pretend to be posh, but I didn’t think there was any point really,’ Freeman confessed to Empire . ‘I think, maybe, having the last surviving person from Earth be very upper middle class and probably went to Cambridge wasn’t as accessible as having someone who doesn’t look or sound like they did that stuff. So Sam [Rockwell] probably means it as a compliment because I guess he thinks we hit it more on the head by going for that.’
Freeman did not see any connection between Tim Canterbury and Arthur Dent, though he was asked about it multiple times in interviews. There is a real sense of wonder with Dent at what he is seeing in the universe, which Freeman wonderfully enacts with his facial characteristics and mannerisms. The scene where Slartibartfast takes Dent around the planet factory is especially effective in this regard.
When Martin was asked by the BBC’s Alana Lee if he saw any similarities between Arthur Dent and Tim Canterbury, he responded, ‘I think because I’m doing it people see that. I think if Hugh Bonneville was playing it they wouldn’t say, “He was a bit like Tim from The Office .” But I am using the same vocal cords and the same ears for both parts so I’m not going to be cast as many 70-year-old black women.’
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to
The filming process was laborious because it was necessary for Freeman to wear a thick dressing gown throughout the summer, as seen in the film. The days were long and hot. On top of that, Martin was envious of Mos Def’s and Zooey Deschanel’s attire, feeling unglamorous in comparison. The young actor got along really well with Mos Def – they spoke about music the whole time. Freeman also found him very easy to work with and considered Mos to be an all-round ‘top bloke’.
Working on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy was a different experience for Freeman because it was a much bigger-scale production than anything he had worked on previously. He had a sense that there was a lot of money floating around because of the film sets, and there was a much bigger crew than he was used to and more people around on set. He enjoyed getting lifts in nice cars to and from the location each day and there was more choice on the menu when it was time to eat. Coming from a background in British TV and theatre, this was the sort of service he was unused to. The one thing that he foundwas a bit of a drag was the boredom that sinks in in-between shoots because organising sets takes longer for films than for TV.
Much of the film’s cast is American, though the books are British and it was filmed in London with a British crew, yet Freeman felt like the only Brit on set at times.
‘I think people’s fear – well certainly British people’s fear – is that it would be completely Hollywoodized or morphed into this thing where the stuff we initially cared about is no longer there,’ he explained to Movie Web ’s Julian Roman. ‘I believe and hope people don’t feel that’s happened. Occasionally I would feel like the only Limey in town. I felt it was in good hands. No one was on board to scuttle it. They all wanted to serve the film and make something good happen. We were all on the same side.’
To his ongoing frustration, Freeman is seen as the everyday British man. Dent is not written as a hero or a screen icon in the vein of James Bond. He’s the last surviving human and just an average, flawed bloke. He has a job he isn’t enamoured by and has little luck with women. These are things many men can relate too. Freeman just wanted to be real and funny, that’s all. A great deal was riding on him as the main character and linchpin of the story.
‘I could pretend to be posh, but I didn’t think there was any point really,’ Freeman confessed to Empire . ‘I think, maybe, having the last surviving person from Earth be very upper middle class and probably went to Cambridge wasn’t as accessible as having someone who doesn’t look or sound like they did that stuff. So Sam [Rockwell] probably means it as a compliment because I guess he thinks we hit it more on the head by going for that.’
Freeman did not see any connection between Tim Canterbury and Arthur Dent, though he was asked about it multiple times in interviews. There is a real sense of wonder with Dent at what he is seeing in the universe, which Freeman wonderfully enacts with his facial characteristics and mannerisms. The scene where Slartibartfast takes Dent around the planet factory is especially effective in this regard.
When Martin was asked by the BBC’s Alana Lee if he saw any similarities between Arthur Dent and Tim Canterbury, he responded, ‘I think because I’m doing it people see that. I think if Hugh Bonneville was playing it they wouldn’t say, “He was a bit like Tim from The Office .” But I am using the same vocal cords and the same ears for both parts so I’m not going to be cast as many 70-year-old black women.’
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to
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