Sherlock's Martin Freeman on co-starring with his wife: 'It's not a John and Yoko thing'

(Image credit: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

Martin Freeman has said he loves having his real-life partner, Amanda Abbington, with him on set in the new series of Sherlock.

Amanda has been cast as Mary Morstan, a love interest for Martin's character Dr John Watson, and he said she was very deserving of the role.

"It wasn't a John and Yoko thing, where I said, 'I want my missus in'," he said. "I think they [the casting directors] had thought about it, and I think Amanda is a really good Mary. If she was nothing to do with me, she'd still be someone who'd definitely come up for it."

But Amanda has received abusive messages and even death threats on Twitter since she was announced as the actress playing Mary.

Martin said: "It's ridiculous. To me, they're not fans of the show - they're fans of a show going on in their heads."

The couple met on the set of Men Only in 2000 and Martin said that they have a 'lovely shorthand' when they work together.

He said of their journeys to and from set: "If you're lucky enough to work with your missus or mister, and you actually want to and get on with them, it does help if you're filming away from home."

Martin added that there were benefits to working together: "You can see them more than you would normally."

Sherlock premieres on BBC One on Wednesday, January 1.

 

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.