Had he continued indulging on his mood swings, "Sherlock" star Martin Freeman, who plays Sherlock Holmes' good friend and loyal sidekick Dr. Watson in the series might have faced an entirely different career.
During an interview with the Edinburgh International Festival, the British actor revealed that he actually botched up his first audition as Dr. Watson because of his attitude, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
"Afterwards, my agent told me, 'They kind of hated you; they thought you didn't want it and were a moody (expletive),' " he said.
"But I did want it, although maybe I was a moody prick. So I went back and did it again with Ben (Benedict Cumberbatch) and got the part."
Freeman rose to fame because of his role in "The Office," but it was particularly the British television series "Sherlock" that gave him widespread international acclaim, eventually landing him really good roles such as Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit" trilogy and FX's "Fargo" television series.
And for that opportunity, Freeman will always be grateful, and he is counting his lucky stars that producers overlooked his initial moodiness during his auditions.
The actor admitted that if he didn't nab the role of Baggins in "The Hobbit," he would have had a harder time landing the lead role of Lester Nygaard in "Fargo."
"Being offered something like 'Fargo' - I'm guessing it wouldn't have happened as it did, were it not in the midst of the first two 'Hobbit' films," he said. "I'd have had to jump through some hoops - and actually have auditioned."
He might not be returning as Watson in the Christmas special of "Sherlock," but Freeman is actually thankful for the time off since he is given the opportunity to explore more roles.
"I have a very low boredom threshold. If I was shooting nine months of 'Sherlock,' the first month would be great, and the next eight would be hell," he said.
It is because of the months-long break in between seasons that Cumberbatch had the time to portray Hamlet in London's Barbican. Freeman actually went to see his good friend play, and cannot help but heap praises on Cumberbatch.
"He was very good. He made Shakespeare very accessible in his mouth," he said of Cumberbatch's performance. "I remember him telling me he was going to America and that there's not much else to do here. There's definitely a feeling among some actors I know. There's a different ceiling there. But I can't be any more profound than that."
