English actor Martin Freeman has starred in numerous movies and shows over the years, and won accolades like an Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. From the Benedict Cumberbatch starrer British crime drama series Sherlock to the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Black Panther and Captain America: Civil War, he has repeatedly showcased his acting prowess.

Canadian actor Jim Carrey is also one of the highly acclaimed actors in Hollywood. Both of these actors are great in their own right. However, there was one instance when Martin Freeman could not stand Jim Carrey. While criticizing the practice of method acting, Freeman cited Carrey’s use of method acting in the 1999 movie Man on the Moon.

Martin Freeman
Martin Freeman

Read More: Black Panther Star Martin Freeman Called Jim Carrey ‘Narcissistic’ After Watching His $47M Movie That Failed at the Box-Office

Martin Freeman Wasn’t Very Fond of Jim Carrey’s Performance

Two different people can have two very distinct perspectives of looking at the same thing. This is exactly what happened in the case of Martin Freeman who expressed his dislike for method acting, a practice that has spawned some of the best performances to date.

A scene from Man on the Moon
A scene from Man on the Moon

In an interview on the Off Menu podcast, Freeman referenced Jim Carrey‘s portrayal of Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon, while stating his disapproval of method acting. He said:

“For me, and I’m genuinely sure Jim Carrey is a lovely and smart person, but it was the most self-aggrandizing, selfish, narcissistic f**king bollocks I have ever seen. The idea that anything in our culture would celebrate or support it is deranged, literally deranged.”

Directed by Miloš Forman, Man on the Moon chronicles the life of the late American entertainer Andy Kaufman. Despite the movie managing to earn only $47 million against a production budget of $52 million, Carrey’s praiseworthy performance earned him a Golden Globe Award while the movie itself was nominated for Best Musical/Comedy.

Read More: “It was tearing him apart”: James Dean’s Roles Inspired Jim Carrey’s Electric Nature On Screen, Claimed He Was in a “Fugue state” While Performing

Martin Freeman Disapproves of Method Acting

Martin Freeman in Sherlock
Martin Freeman in Sherlock

The creative benefits of method acting are many. Late actor Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker stands as a testament to this fact. Not to mention that it is this very practice that made Adrien Brody the youngest actor to have ever won an Academy Award for Best Leading Actor, thanks to his portrayal of Władysław Szpilman in the 2003 movie The Pianist.

Read More: Multiple Stars Rejected Dumb and Dumber for the Most Bizarre Reason Before Jim Carrey Said Yes: “He can’t do it, he’s unavailable”

Despite all this, Martin Freeman does not approve of method acting as he believes that it is a very impractical way of approaching acting. On the Off Menu podcast, the Love Actually actor said:

“You need to keep grounded in reality. That’s not to say you don’t lose yourself in the time between ‘action’ and ‘cut,’ but I think the rest of it is absolute pretentious nonsense and highly amateurish. It is not professional. Get the job done, do your work.”

Freeman’s point of view about this is correct as can be seen in the 2017 Netflix documentary Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond which shows the adverse effects of Jim Carrey’s method acting not only on the crew’s productivity but also his own self.

Source: Off Menu

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