Martin Freeman has spoken candidly about feelings of isolation during past romantic relationships, offering rare insight into his personal life during an appearance on the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast.
The 54-year-old actor, best known for his roles in The Hobbit trilogy and The Office, reflected on the emotional warning signs that signalled deeper problems in previous partnerships.
Known for keeping his private life largely out of the spotlight, Mr Freeman’s comments marked an unusually open moment.
His reflections come almost a decade after his split from actress Amanda Abbington, with whom he shared a 16-year relationship before separating in 2016.
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Martin Freeman rarely shares about his private life
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Mr Freeman has since found love with French actress Rachel Benaissa, whom he began dating in 2020.
Speaking on the podcast, Mr Freeman explained that feeling lonely while in a relationship was, for him, a clear indication that something was wrong.
He said: "What I do know about myself is that if you start to feel lonely in a relationship, or like, I’m on my own here somewhere in ways that you can’t explain or ways that you can’t sort of broach with your other half, it indicates something."
The Love Actually star suggested that isolation, which cannot be easily articulated or discussed, often points to underlying issues that should not be ignored.
The actor dated Amanda Abbington for 16 years
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Mr Freeman and Ms Abbington first met on the set of the 2000 film Men Only and went on to appear together in several productions, including The Debt, The Robinsons and Sherlock, where Ms Abbington portrayed his on-screen romantic interest.
The pair never married but share two children, son Joe, 19, and daughter Grace, 17.
Ms Abbington has previously spoken about the strain Mr Freeman’s filming commitments placed on their relationship, particularly during production of The Hobbit, which required him to spend months at a time in New Zealand.
She later described events in their final years together as "the straw that broke the camel’s back".
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Mr Freeman recalled feeling lonely in past relationships
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Despite their separation, the former couple have maintained an amicable co-parenting relationship.
Ms Abbington said in 2019 that they handled the split "in about as civilised a manner as I’ve ever heard of".
Mr Freeman has been in a relationship with Ms Benaissa, 31, since 2020, and the couple have recently extended their partnership into professional territory.
In April last year, they co-founded production company One Trick Poné and are currently developing several film projects together.
Mr Freeman found love with French actress Rachel Benaissa in 2020
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Ms Benaissa, whose credits include Normal People and This Way Up, has also developed a close bond with Mr Freeman’s children and joined them earlier this month at the London premiere of Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials.
Reflecting on relationships more broadly, Mr Freeman acknowledged that uncomfortable emotions are inevitable but stressed the importance of recognising that partners experience similar inner worlds.
He said: "That’s the other thing you forget.
"All the stuff that I’m feeling, so is she. She’s got this entire universe in her head that I am not literally part of."