Martin Freeman is clarifying comments he made about fans of his “Sherlock” series.
In an interview last month, Freeman said filming the show wasn’t fun any more thanks to the expectations from fans. Now, the actor says his comments were misconstrued.
“I love the show. I’m a fan of the show. Unfortunately, that’s the joy of being quoted out of context, and joy of newspapers needing a headline,” he explains.
“My point with ‘Sherlock’ was that [fan] expectations can be heavy. There’s a certain aspect that some fans are going to run with the ball and make their own thing out of your show – which is completely fair enough, as long as we all acknowledge that that is what is happening,” he says in an interview with The Daily Beast.
He continues: “When people insist that Sherlock is supposed to be this show, when we decide what show it is, it’s like, ‘No, this is actually the show we’re making, and that we’ve always made. I know you want to see this happen, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to have to happen.’ So that’s what gets, frankly, wearing.”
Freeman’s response comes after co-star “Sherlock” Benedict Cumberbatch called his remarks “pathetic”.
Cumberbatch was asked to address comments from Freeman — who plays Dr. Watson alongside the “Dr. Strange” star’s Sherlock Holmes — in which he complained that high expectations for “Sherlock” have made the role less enjoyable for him.
“Being in that show, it is a mini-Beatles thing,” Freeman told The Telegraph. “People’s expectations, some of it’s not fun any more. It’s not a thing to be enjoyed, it’s a thing of: ‘You better f**king do this, otherwise you’re a c***.’ That’s not fun anymore.”
Asked about his co-star’s words, Cumberbatch did not hold back. “It’s pretty pathetic if that’s all it takes to let you not want to take grip of your reality. What, because of expectations?” he responded in an interview with The Telegraph. “I don’t know. I don’t necessarily agree with that.”
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Admitting he understands the point Freeman is making, Cumberbatch contended that he does not share the same opinion. “There’s a level of obsession where [the franchise] becomes theirs even though we’re the ones making it,” he added. “But I just don’t feel affected by that in the same way, I have to say.”
