Martin Freeman is back as troubled cop Chris Carson in series 2 of The Responder (which is on tonight, Saturday, June 2), whose onscreen partner is played by The Salisbury Poisonings star MyAnna Buring.

In real life, Martin suffered a very public and “damaging” fallout from his marriage to Strictly star Amanda Abbington. However, he is now dating a much younger actress.

So is he still amicable with his ex-partner, does he see his two kids, and who is he dating? Here’s everything you need to know about the actor.

Martin Freeman as Chris Carson in series 2 of The Responder (Credit: Dancing Ledge/Rekha Garton)
Who plays Chris Carson in The Responder on BBC One?

Martin Freeman stars as police response officer Chris Carson in The Responder. In series 2, Chris continues to struggle with his mental health amid his extremely difficult job.

Chris – once an Inspector, but demoted – is trying to get better and go straight. But, when Barnes tricks him into doing a dodgy car stop, he is drawn into a drug war between two of Liverpool’s top dealers.

At the end of series one, Chris had managed to extricate himself the aftermath of the stolen drugs debacle, but he’s soon entangled in illegalities again.

Happy Valley fans must surely love this, from writer Tony Schumacher. It’s gritty, dark viewing, and isn’t afraid to tackle uncomfortable subjects.

What is Martin Freeman famous for? What’s he been in?

Actor Martin Freeman rose to fame playing undynamic Tim Canterbury in Ricky Gervais’ hit The Office. He played the role from 2001 to 2003 – finally getting the girl in the final episode.

After the success of The Office, Martin bagged his own sitcom called Hardware, which ran for two series. The show revolved around the store staff of a hardware store as they engaged in a daily wisecrack battle with DIY-obsessed clients.

Since then, Martin has made a name for himself in films including Love Actually, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Nativity! Of course, he famously took on the role of Bilbo in The Hobbit franchise. A role he seemed born for.

Martin plays Everett K. Ross in the Marvel films, including Black Panther, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

From 2010 to 2017, Martin played Dr John Watson in Sherlock Holmes. He’s since starred in Boy Meets Girl, series 1 of Fargo, and StartUp, in which he played Phil Rask.

Other notable roles include DSU Stephen Fulcher in crime drama A Confession, and Paul in the family comedy Breeders.

Martin Freeman and Ricky Gervais at the British Comedy Awards in 2001, when The Office won an award (Credit: Ken McKay/Shutterstock)
How old is Martin Freeman? Where is he from?

Martin John Christopher Freeman was born September 08, 1971, in Aldershot, Hampshire.

He is currently 52 years of age.

The youngest of five children, his parents separated when he was a child. His father subsequently died of a heart attack when Martin was just 10 years old.

Martin attended the Salesian School in Chertsey, Surrey, before attending Brooklands College in nearby Weybridge for media studies.

So, no, he’s NOT a Scouser, but he does a good accent!

Who is Martin Freeman’s famous brother?

Martin’s older brother, Tim, became a singer with the group Frazier Chorus.

His other brother Jamie Freeman, was a singer-songwriter, and record producer, who fronted The Jamie Freeman Agreement. His song The Fire – co-written with Ben Glover – was nominated for UK Song Of The Year at the UK Americana Awards.

Tragically, he died of brain cancer in December 2022. He was just 57 years old.

Martin Freeman and ex-partner Amanda Abbington pictured at launch of The Hobbit in 2013 (Credit: Lionel Hahn/Abacausa/startraksphoto.com)
Does Martin Freeman have a partner?

Martin Freeman was with former partner Amanda Abbington from 2000 to 2016. Although she was never his actual wife, as they never married. Of course, the actress appeared in the 2023 series of Strictly Come Dancing. She quit after a couple of weeks.

The couple originally met on the set of TV film Men Only in 2000, and went on to appear in numerous productions together. These include Sherlock, Swinging with the Finkels, The Debt, The Robinsons, and The All Together.

However, they announced their separation in December 2016, after 16 years together. At the time, the pair continued to work together on BBC One’s Sherlock.

Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington split

Speaking about the split with Radio Times at a later late, the actor said he will “always love” Amanda. He explained: “We’re very friendly and it’s all lovely and cool. Yes, we’ve not been together for a while… I’m all right, yes. I mean, we’re honest to God doing it [separating] in about as civilised a manner as I’ve ever heard of, you know.”

He added: “I love Amanda’s work [and] I think she’s brilliant as an actor and she’s brilliant as a woman and, yes, I love her. I will always love Amanda, but, yes, we’re… you know, that’s what’s happened.”

Speaking about the split, Amanda subsequently admitted that post-break-up were the “darkest” times of her life. She told Red: “I had thought Martin was the love of my life. This wasn’t meant to happen to us.

“It was one of the darkest moments of my life but, although I didn’t know it then, it was also to mark the beginning of an extraordinary journey of self-discovery.”

During an Instagram Live for a mental health campaign, Amanda also said the split caused their children “irreparable damage”.

Martin Freeman and girlfriend Rachel Mariam at the BAFTA Television Awards 2023 at London’s Royal Festival Hall (Credit: Brett D. Cove / SplashNews.com)
How many children does he have?

Martin and Amanda share two children together – son Joe, who is 17, and daughter Grace, who is 15.

Son Joe has followed in his parents’ footsteps – he’s been cast in a production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in Tunbridge Wells.

Martin previously shared a home with his then partner Amanda in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. However, the actor is now based in the Belsize Park area of London.

Amanda lives in Hertfordshire, with her new partner Jonathan Goodwin, who she is engaged to.

Who is Martin Freeman’s partner?

Martin is now French actress and writer Rachel Mariam – also known as Rachel Benaissa – who is substantially younger than him. While Martin is 52, Mariam is 30 – that’s 22 years difference in age.

The couple were first linked together in 2020, following Martin’s split from partner and co-star Amanda Abbington in 2018.

Although Martin isn’t on social media, girlfriend Rachel regularly posts snaps of the couple together, attending screenings and getting brunch together.

In one post, the actress jokes that the couple are “two short people”. Rachel had a small role in BBC’s Normal People, and played Clémence Elliot in Murder in Provence.

She studied Theatre & Filmmaking at the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, before moving to London in 2018.

Martin Freeman with cast and crew of film Miller’s Girl, including Jenny Ortega in white dress (Credit: Amy Katz/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
How tall is Martin Freeman?

As his girlfriend has alluded to, Martin is reportedly 5 foot six.

His former partner Amanda Abbington is five foot three.

Martin Freeman defends controversial sex scenes with Jenny Ortega in Miller’s Girl

The Responder actor has recently had to defend himself amid criticism of his latest film Miller’s Girl. In the 2o24, Martin portrays creative writing teacher Jonathan Miller, opposite Netflix Jenna Ortega who plays his teenage student.

In the 15-rated movie, a creative writing assignment yields complex results between a teacher and his talented student. Basically, they embark on a passionate affair.

Understandably perhaps, the sex scenes between the pair have attracted condemnation. Jenna is just 21 years of age – more than three decades younger than Martin. In the film, she is portrayed as 18.

The film faced backlash on social media upon release earlier this year for depicting a student-teacher relationship. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Martin described Miller’s Girl as a “grown-up and nuanced”.

He went on to say that it’s “a shame” that the feature, which marks the debut of writer-director Jade Halley Bartlett, became the subject of scandal just because it touches on a difficult, uncomfortable topic.

In a reference to acclaimed 1993 film Schindler’s List, he asked: “Are we gonna have a go at Liam Neeson for being in a film about the Holocaust?”

The film’s intimacy coordinator Kristina Arjona meanwhile told the Daily Mail that Jenna Ortega was “comfortable with” the intimate scenes.