It's like trying to act at a premiere: Freeman on 'Sherlock'

Martin Freeman, who plays the role of Dr Watson on BBC's 'Sherlock' opposite Benedict Cumberbatch, says the mania surrounding the show makes them feel like they are trying to act at a premiere.
Freeman says fans often break into applause while they are shooting and it is not easy for actors.
"When we're (filming at) our stand-in for Baker Street, it is hard to do your job. And I don't love it. It's like trying to act at a premiere... I wasn't in The Beatles. But I've never seen anything like it. There's such a heightened sense of excitement...," he told the Independent.

Freeman, however, is happy that they don't have to keep the show running for eight months of the year as they get together to shoot whenever his and Cumberbatch's schedules permit.
This year there would be only one episode of the show that will come as a Christmas special.
"By American standards it's nothing! Even by Downton (Abbey) standards it's pretty short! It's not eight months of our year, and it's not every year. It's so intermittent. That's what for me makes it do-able," Freeman said.

"I don't know about Ben but certainly for me it would soon lose a lot of its appeal if we were schlepping that around for eight months of the year, every year. A bit of the sheen would have gone off it."

The actor just ended his role as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's 'Hobbit' trilogy and he does not miss playing the character.
"That's the question I was asked 40 times a day: 'Do you miss Bilbo?' 'No, I don't, because I'm not mentally ill.' Well, I am, in many ways! But I'm not deluded - I don't think he's real, and I don't think I am him.