Delve into the career of Martin Freeman, whose rise to fame—through such roles as Dr. John Watson and Bilbo Baggins—has made him one of the greatest actors of his generation Martin Freeman is one of Britain's best-loved actors. After being cast in bit parts and cameos—such as The Bill (his first onscreen role) and the beat-boxing Ricky C in Ali G Indahouse—he made his big break as Tim Canterbury in The Office. Freeman was later cast, among other roles, as the mundane character of Arthur Dent in the sci-fi movie adaption of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and, labeled an "everyday" bloke by journalists, began to run the risk of being stereotyped. However, in 2010 he completely turned his career around when he took on the role of Dr. John Watson in the incredibly successful Sherlock. His biggest role followed as he portrayed Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy and, in recent years, Freeman has shown a dark edge to his thespian skills by portraying Richard III in the West End and Lester Nygaard in the critically acclaimed US drama series Fargo. An intensely private man, Freeman is in a long-term relationship with the actress Amanda Abbington, whom he met on the set of the 2000 Channel 4 TV movie Men Only and who played his on-screen partner in Sherlock. The Unexpected Adventures of Martin Freeman explores the rise to fame of this unassuming actor, how he has successfully managed to avoid the pitfalls of stardom, and how he has become one of the greatest actors of his generation. It is a must-read for any fan.**

The authoritative biography of one of Hollywood's leading hunksGrowing up in Texas, the youngest of three boys, Matthew McConaughey was known for his good looks and charm. His acting career began with TV commercials, B movies, and low-budget independent films, which included the much respected coming of age drama Dazed and Confused. His big break came as lawyer Jack Brigance in 1996's A Time to Kill, based on the bestselling legal thriller by John Grisham, and he was subsequently cast in such acclaimed films as Amistad, Contact, EDtv, and U-571. The new millennium brought an unfortunate change in his fortunes as he moved into risible romantic comedies. Movies such as The Wedding Planner, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, Failure To Launch, Fool's Gold, and Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past were only moderately successful and failed to win over the critics; the critical acclaim that he garnered in the...