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'The Good Doctor's' Freddie Highmore: His Career Over The Years, 5 Things to Know
BY Mikah Cutts
Published 6 years ago
At the age of 25, most of us are probably still trying to figure out where to go. But for Freddie Highmore, the stars are within his reach. The English actor has garnered numerous awards, and nominations for his passion and incredible talent. Since his first appearance on TV as a little boy named Sam in “Women Talking Dirty” in 1999, Highmore’s career has catapulted to tremendous heights. Currently starring in ABC “The Good Doctor,” the actor’s work is highly commendable.
Born with the Acting gene since his father is an actor himself, and his mother—a talent agent for clients like Daniel Radcliffe—Freddie Highmore was given an opportunity to explore his gift. The English actor was seven years old when he began his acting career. And even before he turned eighteen, he’s already played more significant roles.
Freddie Highmore: Landmarks on his Remarkable Acting Career
A year before he reached his teen years, he played the role of Peter—a little boy whom J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) builds a close relationship in the film “Finding Neverland.” In one of the most important scenes, Peter rips apart his play—and at that very moment, Freddie performs realistically and gains the title of a great young actor who’s going places.
What’s more is that it was shot on the second day of filming. While it may have been one of the hardest scenes, Freddie had proven himself just as good as any actor at any age. Entertainment Weekly reports that director Marc Foster set the schedule early because he wanted his staff to take Freddie seriously, despite being a child. In this breakthrough performance, he was able to receive six nominations and 5 won awards.
Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore in Finding Neverland (2004). Photo by Walt Disney Productions
A little over a year after that, he played the major role of Charlie Bucket in Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” in 2005. Kids during this time would remember this musical-fantasy film for sure. Not only for its catchy music or the unexplored world come to life, but also for Freddie’s sweet shoeshiner boy smile. For this role, he won the Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent, two other awards, and two more nominations—including the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards for Best Young Performer, an award by which he will again earn a nomination three years later for his role in the drama “August Rush.”
Freddie Highmore in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Photo by Warner Bros.
In 2008, however, Highmore was faced with a new challenge: to play two roles. He plays both Jared and Simon Grace, the twins in the film. In an interview with Collider, Highmore said that it was a little tricky to stare at ping pong balls and ex-marks on the wall since the film relied heavily on CGI effects. Regardless, he was still able to perform exceptionally well at such a young age in an advanced industry.
Freddie Highmore in The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
Freddie as Norman Bates is Everything Hitchcock would’ve wanted
The 25-year-old actor has been in a few TV shows here and there, but his most notable role would have to be Norman Bates in the psychological thriller “Bates Motel.” The series is a contemporary revival of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” The acclaimed A&E drama-thriller enabled Highmore to be nominated in the Critics’ Choice Television Show Award as Best Actor in Drama Series three times. Along with this, he also won the People’s Choice Award in 2016.
Freddie Highmore in Bates Motel (2013). Photo by A&E Networks
The series has over 50 episodes, and its popularity over the years brought the English actor to an even higher level. It isn’t easy being a bad guy—especially for such a kind face like Freddie’s. He’s got to be both menacing and dementedly innocent at the same time.
Taking on a Romantic Film
On the verge of adulthood, Highmore finally found himself in a Romantic-Comedy movie entitled “The Art of Getting By” alongside actress Emma Roberts. He plays the role of George, a boy who usually keeps to himself, but has talent in sketching. As he submerges himself into the world of socializing and making friends, he finds himself feeling things he’s never felt before.
Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts in The Art of Getting By (2011). Photo by Fox Searchlight
For Highmore’s fans, this is a new stage. Highmore dabbled in genres such as adventure, fantasy, and drama, but this time, he’s fallen into the cupid category. This role is the only romantic film that he’s ever starred in, ever. So to girls who were looking to see some sweet moments with Freddie, you’ll have to stick to fanfics.
5 things to know about Freddie Highmore
1. He’s experimenting with script writing, directing and producing. In his venture into the horror genre as Norman Bates, he began to explore scriptwriting. He even wrote two episodes for the series “Bates Motel.” One of which was entitled “Unfaithful” which aired during the fourth season. He also tried directing the episode “The Body” in the fifth and final season. And as Highmore continues to explore the film industry further, he also tried out being a producer for his latest series, “The Good Doctor.”
Freddie Highmore in Bates Motel (2013). Cate Cameron/A&E Networks
2. He tried to remove his accent in a few roles. As an actor—and a good one—it takes more than gestures to convince sincerity. It will also require language. And even on Highmore’s first films such as “August Rush” and “Spiderwick Chronicles,” he had to tone down his British accent. The romance flick “The Art of Getting By” also required an American accent from him, including his most recent role Dr. Shaun Murphy in “The Good Doctor.”
3. He is fluent in English, French, Spanish, and studied Arabic. Highmore earned his Bachelor’s degree in Language. And for this major, he practiced Spanish and Arabic. While he hasn’t starred in foreign films yet, it’s going to be a real advantage for him when he does.
4. He’s had a close relationship with Johnny Depp. On their first film working together, “Finding Neverland,” the two sparked a touching friendship. In fact, it was Johnny Depp who suggested that Highmore play the starring role in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
Johnny Depp and Freddie Highmore in Finding Neverland (2004). Photo by Walt Disney Productions
5. The interval between “Bates Motel” and “The Good Doctor” was only three days. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, it was revealed that right after the final production day of “Bates Motel,” Highmore only had three days before the production of ABC’s “The Good Doctor.” For playing two vastly different roles, he sure internalized his role as Dr. Shaun Murphy quite instantly. And while doing so, got the most of his limited rest.
Freddie Highmore in The Good Doctor (2017). Eike Schroter/ABC
Now on his 34th appearance on camera (including voiceovers), Highmore faces the challenge of representing a genius who’s living with autism and savant syndrome. It’s not going to be that easy—as it’s a condition not easily understood and still undergoing studies and research. But Highmore has continuously proven to us that he’s going to nail anything that comes his way—even recently earning a 2018 Golden Globe nomination for his role as Dr. Shaun Murphy.
“The Good Doctor” continues next Monday with “Islands Part Two,” at 10/9c on ABC.
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