In preparing for the role of Chris Carson in hit BBC One police thriller The Responder, sadly Martin Freeman was not able to enjoy the ‘actor playing policeman’ rite of passage – that of the ride-along on a night in a squad car with real coppers.
The first series was filmed during Covid so ride-alongs “weren’t a thing anymore. They just evaporated.” And returning for series two, which starts on Sunday, it wasn’t on offer. Freeman does admit that when he passes a police car, he’s tempted to jump in. “I do think of going, ‘Hey I played a policeman can I come and see what it’s like?’” He pauses and grins. “I haven’t done it, and they haven’t offered.”
