Why Martin Freeman beat Matt Smith to the role of Watson in Sherlock
Martin Freeman may be playing Watson alongside Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock, but another well-known actor also auditioned for the role…
This coming Sunday, the BBC will be airing a new, modern take on Sherlock Holmes, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and devised by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss. In the role of his companion, Dr John Watson, will be veteran British actor Martin Freeman.
However, in an interview back in March, Moffat revealed that, while Freeman was the eventually obvious choice, he had some early competition from a younger actor who, in the ensuing year has risen to prominence, as the new Doctor Who.
"That was the thing, it was all about finding the match," Moffat explained. "And we saw a lot. In fact, the first person we saw was Matt Smith. A week before he auditioned for Doctor Who."
However, as Gatiss elaborated, there was just something about Freeman's dry sense of humour and personality that complemented Cumberbatch. "They got on immediately... it just clicked."
For more interesting tidbits about Sherlock, read our full interview here, and check back this week for more coverage.
The first episode, A Study In Pink, airs on Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.
Disqus - noscript
No one will read this odd Ood post? Don't be ridiculous. People have reading your post and laughing for two years now.
Make it three years!