Martin Freeman took us on an incredibly stressful and visceral ride as police officer Chris Carson, the Liverpudlian first responder on the brink of a breakdown – even before he gets in too deep with the local drug dealer. What a harrowing performance he put in, and what a masterful script by former night-shift cop Tony Schumacher. Its raw realism shows in every character, from the “bagheads” to those on the beat. Blistering stuff.
What we said: “The Responder is as fast and riveting as a thriller and as harrowing as a documentary. It says profound things about the toll frontline jobs can take on our compassion and our morals … If you are looking for a state-of-the-nation piece, it is here.”
“It’s a transformation. I haven’t really done anything like it before. I don’t look or sound technically like me (Chris Carson) in it. I don’t feel like me. My physicality is slightly different. So that’s very meaty to get into.”
That video has a lot of clips from the show and omg the contrast between his normal voice and his liverpool accent… wow
Found a new podcast with Martin talking about The Responder which is now available in the US via BritBox. Nothing new, questions are the same as always but then again I could listen to him read a telephone book.
Martin Freeman took us on an incredibly stressful and visceral ride as police officer Chris Carson, the Liverpudlian first responder on the brink of a breakdown – even before he gets in too deep with the local drug dealer. What a harrowing performance he put in, and what a masterful script by former night-shift cop Tony Schumacher. Its raw realism shows in every character, from the “bagheads” to those on the beat. Blistering stuff.
What we said: “The Responder is as fast and riveting as a thriller and as harrowing as a documentary. It says profound things about the toll frontline jobs can take on our compassion and our morals … If you are looking for a state-of-the-nation piece, it is here.”
After that evening I think Martin and I had a great working relationship, which I hope to have for many years to come. And I hope I can achieve with other talent in the future. He was the most generous actor I’ve worked with, he gave me time every-time I asked for it, made space and room for my job without question. Also even checked in with me on the tougher days to see if I had enough done. Because of that I have come away with some of the strongest stills I’ve ever achieved in my career.
