Martin Freeman: I always play nice guys

(Cover) - EN Movies - Martin Freeman fears his career choices have made people think he's "purely benign".

The British actor has found fame playing a number of mild-mannered characters, such as John in Love Actually and Watson in TV show Sherlock.

Many of his fans expect him to be just the same in real life, which he sometimes finds hard.

"I'd a decent enough person but I'm certainly not your best mate, absolutely not. And I'm not purely benign, yeah... I can name other actors who - I won't - but you could think of a thousand other actors who people wouldn't feel, 'Oh, would you say hello to my mum?' because people would be a bit scared to do that. But with me, I've played the parts where people think, 'He's just a good bloke,'" Martin told Esquire magazine.

The actor takes it as a compliment that so many people find him relatable, as it means he's done a good job on set. He worries he is a letdown when he does come face to face with his fans.

"It can be frustrating, just because you think, well, I know I'm not that person and you don't know I'm not that person. [I am far less benign] and that's not to say I've got hidden depths and really I kill people - I don't kill people... I torture them," he deadpanned.