The Good Doctor Star Opens Up About His Relationship With Johnny Depp: 25 Facts About Freddie Highmo

May 19, 2024

Freddie Highmore has risen to the spotlight with his starring role as Dr. Shaun Murphy on "The Good Doctor," leaving fans wondering who the man behind the leading actor is.

With the all-new season 4 airing, it's only right that we discover little-known details about the actor. Read the article till the end and find out why Freddie Highmore claims that people are often mistaken about Johnny Depp.

Image Credits: Getty Images / Freddie Highmore

HE DOESN'T HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

Highmore is pretty indifferent when it comes to social media; he prefers to stay away from Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The star credits his abstinence from social media for his ability to separate his personal life from his on-screen life.

"Maybe I should just get some secret account somewhere and keep up to date with everything," Freddie joked.

Image Credits: Getty Images / Freddie Highmore

HE SPEAKS MULTIPLE LANGUAGES

Highmore studied Arabic and Spanish at university; however, he didn't practice his Arabic enough to retain it. He also studied French in his early schooling years. The actor has also shared that he would graciously accept the opportunity of starring in a film that uses a language other than English.

Image Credits: Getty Images / Freddie Highmore

HE LIVED IN MADRID FOR A YEAR WHILE WORKING IN A LAW FIRM

When he was filming "Bates Motel," Freddie also worked at a law firm translating Spanish to English documents. Showrunners for the series were extremely impressed.

During his time working and filming Madrid, the star would pretend that he had a Spanish grandmother to make friends easily. Freddie told Jimmy Kimmel:

"I came up with this backstory that my grandmother was born in Galicia, which is the Northwest part of Spain."

Image Credits: Getty Images / Freddie Highmore

HIS REAL NAME ISN'T FREDDIE

Fans might be surprised to know that his real name isn't Freddie. He was named Alfred Thomas Highmore by his mother, Sue, who we have come to know is a talent agent, and his father, Edward Thomas Highmore, who is an actor.

Image Credits: Getty Images / Freddie Highmore

HE IS A MUSICIAN

When Freddie isn't on set or adding to his linguistic repertoire, the actor enjoys playing the clarinet. He also learned to play the guitar for his role in August Rush. In a throwback appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the young Freddie demonstrated how he plays the clarinet with his nostrils.

HE WENT TO UNIVERSITY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HE WANTED TO DO WITH HIS LIFE

The actor is a graduate of the University of Cambridge; he completed his Arabic and Spanish studies while filming Bates Motel. Highmore admitted that he wanted to make sure that acting was a career field he genuinely wanted to pursue.

Image Credits: Getty Images / Freddie Highmore

HE'S A DIRECTOR AND WRITER

Highmore is not only talented on the screen, but he is also proficient behind the scenes. The critically acclaimed actor penned some of the episodes of "Bates Motel" and directed an episode of the hit show. He added a producer to his resume when he was made an official of "The Good Doctor."

Additionally, the star co-wrote and directed an episode of "The Good Doctor." The actor shared his experience was a challenge he had been eagerly awaiting because he didn't feel fulfilled with just acting on the shows.

Image Credits: Getty Images / Freddie Highmore

"I think it was born naturally out of working on a television show because there was something odd to me about leaving the show behind in-between seasons, after putting so much into it on set for four, five months," he said.

HE ENJOYS ACTING ON TV SHOWS

Highmore has starred in cinema and television roles throughout his Hollywood career, but as of recent, he's maintained the television direction. According to Freddie, he made an active choice to do television when he became involved with "The Good Doctor."

Image Credits: Flickr / Walt Disney Television / The cast and producers of ABC's "The Good Doctor" at Disney

HIS MOM WORKS WITH A "HARRY POTTER" STAR

Highmore's mother, Sue, is a talent agent, and one of her clients is Daniel Radcliffe. The "Harry Potter" star and Highmore were childhood friends. The two became acquainted with one another through their parents. According to Freddie, they used to play together at the beach.

VALENTINE'S DAY IS HIS BLESSING AND HIS CURSE

According to the star, being born on the day of love can be a blessing and a curse. During his appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," he joked that he always receives a card, even though it doesn't come from the person he would like for it to come from.

He recalls one year, his friends planned a dinner party to celebrate his birthday, and the restaurant decor was very romantic. Of course, they weren't pleased, and coincidently, they also ruined a couple's date night.

THE AMERICAN STYLE OF DATING CONFUSES HIM

In Highmore's opinion, the U.K. dating scene is different from North America. He figures dates are more straightforward in the U.K. - you might go out to see a movie or enjoy dinner together, but the North American style might include extreme sports.

Image Credits: Flickr / Walt Disney Television / The cast and producers of ABC's "The Good Doctor" at Disney

HE IS THE GODFATHER OF VERA FARMIGA'S SON

The actors played mother and son on "Bates Motel" and have taken their familial bond off the screen. Highmore had shared that the two experienced an instant connection when they first met on set in 2012. Freddie has since become the godfather of her son Flynn.

HE HAD A THREE-DAY BREAK BETWEEN TWO BIG PROJECTS

The actor concluded his role five-year role as Norman in the horror series "Bates Motel" just three days before joining "The Good Doctor."

Highmore stated that he felt drawn to the medical show because of the character Shaun. He also joked that after killing so many people in Bates Motel, he felt morally obligated to take on Shaun.

Image Credits: Flickr / Walt Disney Television / Freddie Highmore at Disney

HE WAS GOING TO TURN DOWN HIS ROLE ON THE GOOD DOCTOR

While it's difficult to imagine an alternate reality where another actor plays Dr. Murphy, it almost happened. It was revealed that the star and producers were not convinced he would be the right fit. He was also hesitant to sign on for another commitment after the successful "Bates Motel."

HE BEGAN ACTING AT THE AGE OF SEVEN

As we mentioned earlier, the actor appeared in "Women Talking Dirty," as it was his first film role. Even though Freddie was acting consistently during his childhood, it wasn't a career that he automatically knew he would end up in.

Highmore went to school and then university to discover his true ambitions, and it brought him back to acting.

HELENA BONHAM CARTER HAS PLAYED HIS MOTHER THREE TIMES

The English actress starred as Highmore's mother in his first film, "Women Talking Dirty," she did it again in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," and finally, she starred as his step-mother in the TV show "Toast."

Image Credits: Getty Images / Helena Bonham Carter

HE IS FRIENDS WITH JOHNNY DEPP

Freddie has had the pleasure of working with Hollywood great Johnny Depp not only once but twice. The actors starred in "Finding Neverland," and later Depp recommended Highmore for his role in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

The August Rush star confirmed Johnny put in a good word for him in an interview with The Independent. He said:

"People build up a picture of Johnny Depp as being some sort of weird pirate character. In reality, he's incredibly nice... one of the nicest people I've ever met. We meet up whenever we're in the same country."

Image Credits: Getty Images / Freddie Highmore and Johnny Depp during "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" Los Angeles Premiere

HE TRIED TO LEARN ICE HOCKEY

In 2018, the actor spoke about living in Vancouver, Canada. He tried to introduce himself to Canadian culture by learning to play ice hockey.

He does admit that he had to learn how to adjust from the polite English manner of applauding to screaming and cheering when watching a hockey game.

HE HAS ACTED ALONGSIDE HIS FATHER

Highmore had the opportunity to act in a film called "Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story" alongside his dad Edward Highmore.

The duo played father and son, and just like father like son, Edward is just as private and humble as Freddie. Even though he's widely recognized for acting in BBCs beloved soap "Howard's Way."

Image Credits: Getty Images / Freddie Highmore

HE LOVES LONDON

The Golden Globe-nominated actor was born and raised in London, so it's not coincidental that it would be his favorite city. However, since "The Good Doctor" is filmed in Vancouver, Canada, he affectionately refers to it as his home away from home.

HE LOVES VOICE OVER ACTING

The star has fun with voice-over acting; Highmore stated that being off the screen gives him an opportunity to focus on other acting challenges. He gets to hone in on the energetic portrayal of a character rather than the physical aspects of on-screen productions.

Image Credits: Getty Images / Freddie Highmore

The talented actor has worked on voice-overs for video games, including an adaptation of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "The Spiderwick Chronicles." He is also the voice behind Astro Boy in its PSP game, voicing alongside actress Kristen Bell.

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