Martin Freeman doesn’t find working on TV show Sherlock as much fun anymore because the pressure of its success has become so great.
The Hobbit actor starred as Dr. John Watson alongside Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock Holmes in the British series, which began in 2010 and has aired four three-episode seasons and one special to date.
The last episode aired in January 2017, and Martin revealed during an interview with Britain’s Daily Telegraph on Friday (16Mar18) that they won’t be returning to it anytime soon and, for him, the decision is largely down to the pressure of people’s expectations.
“I think after series four (it) felt like a pause. I think we felt we’d done it for a bit now. And part of it, speaking for myself is (due to) the reception of it,” he said. “Being in that show, it is a mini-Beatles thing… People’s expectations, some of it’s not fun anymore. It’s not a thing to be enjoyed, it’s a thing of: ‘You better f**king do this, otherwise you’re a ****.’ That’s not fun anymore.”
Sherlock has been a success with critics and viewers alike, but the fourth series drew some criticism, with many commenting that it had become too complicated and over-the-top.
Martin, who found fame with British show The Office, believes the backlash was inevitable because it was so hard to keep up with people’s expectations given that they started off on such a high.
“To be absolutely honest, it (was) kind of impossible,” he explained. “Sherlock became the animal that it became immediately. Whereas even with The Office it was a slow burn. But Sherlock was frankly notably high quality from the outset. And when you start (that high) it’s pretty hard to maintain that.”
The 46-year-old is also frustrated by fans who seemed convinced that Dr. Watson and Holmes were going to become lovers by the end.
“Me and Ben, we have literally never, never played a moment like lovers. We ain’t f**king lovers,” he stated.
