Many thanks to Giulia for translating an interview with Martin in IO Donna!
Martin Freeman interviewed by an Italian magazine
“I feel like an elegant hobbit”
Martin Freeman is Bilbo in the upcoming Lord of The Rings prequel directed by Peter Jackson. “They chose me because I look like a creature of the woods. But I’m actually a fashionista.”
Q: Peter Jakson changed the filming schedule to have you on the film. It’s a nice compliment, isn’t it?
I think Pete saw someone like me, with a funny face, and said to himself: he’s my hobbit! Now everyone tries to figure out how Bilbo and I are alike.
Q: And the differences between the two of you?
Poor Bilbo has no style, while, to me, clothes have always been an obsession. I knew what I wanted to wear since I was a little boy. I’m a mod, a bit like Bradley Wiggins.
Q: Is there an accessory you couldn’t do without?
I don’t know. Shoes, watches, cufflinks, I like all of them. I’m getting worse with age. Some months ago I read something terrifying: if you really want to understand what kind of person you are, you have to take a look at your bank statement and see where you spend the most of your money. Surely I’m no Mother Teresa. But I have to say that I was very conscious of what I was wearing even before I started to have some money in my bank account. Instead of shopping in the boutiques, I wandered through charity shops.
Q: Were you a J.R.R. Tolkien aficionado before shooting the film?
No, I read the book (The Hobbit) just before I was due on set. I didn’t like the fantasy genre as a kid.
Q: What kind of books did you read?
I was a very serious kid. At eleven I read every single George Orwell book. He changed my life. This doesn’t change the fact that shooting The Hobbit was an experience I’m very happy I’ve been able to make. Even if it wasn’t easy…
Q: What do you mean?
First of all being away from home was hard. My wife is an actress and my children are still at school. They couldn’t move to New Zealand with me. New Zealand is amazing, but it’s not close (to England). But I’d do it all over again.
Q: So your family is very important to you?
Sure, it’s my first priority, even if work comes just after it. It would be strange otherwise, wouldn’t it? You need balance. Without work, I would be a worst father; without my family maybe I wouldn’t be able to work as I do. I’ve been lucky, I never have to struggle to find a role and I always been offered interesting projects. But there has been a period, four or five years ago, when, for three or four months, I didn’t have anything in sight. It’s not uncommon for an actor to find himself in such a situation, but I wasn’t used to it. I noticed many changes in me then: I got paranoid, my self-confidence dropped and I was just freaking out.
Q: Do you prefer to work on stage or in films?
I like both equally. Theatre didn’t buy me a pool but I’ll never forget some of the work I’ve done on stage. Work you dream of when you hope to become an actor.
Q: Did you and Peter Jackson become friends during filming?
Well we don’t go to the disco together, but we have a good professional relationship. I admire him. He’s always open to new ideas and willing to listen to everything you have to say. If you propose him to shoot a scene differently, even if he’s not convinced, he lets you try because he knows that sometimes the smallest change makes the difference. If he doesn’t like it, he won’t criticise you. He just softly shakes his head and says: “no I don’t think that works”. He never shouts or get angry.
Q: Do you think that- after the Hobbit- Peter Jackson will be done with Tolkien?
You never know with Pete. He’s a perfectionist. You never know what he has in store.