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I'll Allow It

The Hobbit’s Martin Freeman Dubs Himself Geek Prince, We Don’t Argue

by Jill Pantozzi | 2:20 pm, December 7th, 2012


“I’m geek royalty now. That’s the main responsibility. It’s not playing Bilbo, it’s my responsibility as a geek prince.” – Hobbit star Martin Freeman speaking at the New York premiere of The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey.

Freeman is of course also stars in BBC’s Sherlock, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Shaun of the Dead. Enough to make him a Prince, or is The Hobbit enough?

He also told reporters, “I hope by the time my life is over I’ve given [fans] something else to talk about but I think in all reality I think it’s very likely that they’ll be calling me Bilbo.”

Speaking of fans, several paid $500 to attend the premiere. Proceeds went to the American Film Institute.

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

 

Previously in The Hobbit

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  • Anonymous

    Am I missing something? Martin Freeman wasn’t in Shaun of the Dead.

  • Anonymous

    Wait, no. Nevermind. That one’s on me. Abort. Abort.

  • Anonymous

    Nono, I think you’re still in the right. His role was so non-existent that I’m really confused as to why they referred to that role in the first place. When I think Shaun of the Dead, I think Pegg and Frost. Freeman is probably the last name that comes to mind when thinking of that flick.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Anna-Sophia-May/100000092990769 Anna Sophia May

    I won’t argue.

  • http://twitter.com/rockinlibrarian Amy W

    This is a strange thing to say, but I’m SO PROUD of him. Like “I KNEW you would become Official Prince of Geekdom someday! I always believed in you!” I can’t explain it. I can’t explain why I’m madly in love with him, either, though, so maybe none of my opinions regarding this man should be trusted.

  • http://twitter.com/captainsharmie sharmylae

    agreed. i wouldn’t say he ‘starred’. appeared in is about as much as i could justify.

  • http://www.iamuhura.tumblr.com/ iamuhura

    If you missed him in The Office, I highly recommend watching both seasons and the Christmas special. It was lovely to see a nerdy glimpse of our geek prince even then.

  • http://www.thenerdybird.com/ Jill Pantozzi

    I needed a 3rd geek-related role to mention. :)

  • Tiffany

    at what point does he come in, in Shaun of the Dead?

  • Anonymous

    It took me a while to remember that bit, too. whoops.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=658295430 Calum Syers

    Surely The Office would do, since it sparked a fan-cult and become on of the most influential comedies of the last 15 years or so.

  • Aminda

    He is in the other group that Shaun meets up with about half way through the film. He says nothing if, I recall correctly, and he was Yvonne’s boyfriend.

  • Clare

    He’s no prince of mine! The guy’s a racist, paternalistic douchebag!

  • MC Park

    This again. No, he really isn’t.

  • Clare

    Are you agreeing or disagreeing with me? (Honestly can’t tell) If disagreeing – he’s sure said some racist & paternalistic stuff, and if it walks like a douche & talks like douche then I’m not going to be falling all over myself to call him a prince.

  • MC Park

    Sorry for the confusion, respectfully disagreeing. And I apologize for the “this again”. I didn’t mean to be so flippant. Let me explain:

    When I first encountered this claim on a fan site, and followed the links back, it led to an interview he did for The Mail 8 years ago. Now, The Mail is known for less-than-accurate reporting, but even so, what I remember reading… was not that bad. Some white male cluelessness, perhaps, but I’ve read far worse interviews from other actors.

    Perhaps I’m desensitized from the racism and sexism I deal with day in and day out to be outraged by what some actor may have said in a shady tabloid a while back. But I just find it odd that Freeman seems to be getting this backlash when others have done and said much worst.
    Case in point (and the source of the “this again”) at a recent Halloween party someone mentioned that she wouldn’t go seen ‘The Hobbit’, because Freeman was a racist, because he collects Motown records. I said, WTF? She said anyone who defends him is a fangirl who wants to bonk him. I said that I’m a lesbian who hasn’t even seen ‘The Office’. Then I went back to the bar.
    So that’s where I’m coming from.

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