Martin Freeman pays heartfelt tribute to co-star as he shares ‘devastation’ about final role

ok.co.uk:

As BBC drama fans prepare to welcome the return of Martin Freeman in the second series of the nail biting police series The Responder, the Sherlock actor has paid a poignant tribute to his late co-star Bernard Hill following his tragic death earlier this week.

Appearing on The One Show to promote the show, hosts Roman Kemp and Alex Jones quizzed the star about what it was like to work with Bernard, who plays Martin’s character Chris’ father in the show.

Without skipping a beat, Martin reflected on his relationship with the star as he spoke with emotion and sincerity about their time working together, as he explained: “It was delightful.” He then continued: “It was really lovely, I think when he came on set he sort of — he’s from Manchester but he was Liverpool royalty having played Yosser Hughes in Boys from the Blackstuff like forty years ago.

He was loved in that city, and for us and the cast and crew, he was a really gentle, kind, sort of playful man with a twinkle in his eye.” Yet while working with Bernard had been a huge honour for Martin, he did go on to reveal one devastating fact about his role in The Responder, as he was heartbroken to realise that the skilled actor wouldn’t be alive to see his work on screen.