10 Big Time Actors Who Are Way Better On TV

10. Martin Freeman

In the past couple of years, Martin Freeman's star has risen with ludicrous pace, and it's not hard to see why. Beneath the oh-so English gent demeanour lies a sparky intelligence, an everyman familiarity and perhaps the most overlooked value, pluckiness.

On The Big Screen:

Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy was good, and while Freeman's job was straight-forward, he did it very well. He kept the curious blend of silliness and insight and seemed to bounce off the hyper-quirky cast with loveable British aplomb. Then of course, there are the gigantic Hobbit films, in which Freeman again lends his talent for being a normal person in an exceptional situation, and then grows as a person. Meh.

In Your Living Room:

On the little screen, Freeman's characters have had a better shot at revealing intelligence. Look at Tim Canterbury in The Office though: yes he was a fool for Dawn, but in a world of oddities, he approximates a voice of reason. He anchors us.

In Sherlock, John Watson is one of the few who the sociopathic detective listens to. If you're going to have a character of freakish cognitive talents and magnetic presence, you need a no-nonsense, resilient and patient man to face up to it.

Best TV Moment:

"You're not haunted by the war Dr. Watson, you miss it". Freeman reacts minutely, with control, self-realisation and a flicker of deep-seated power.