Amanda Abbington insists her son Joe, 19, is not a nepo baby and that the aspiring actor she shares with Martin Freeman 'did not use her name' for role in new Stephen King series

Daily Mail​

02-05-2025

Amanda Abbington has doubled down on her defiant claims that her son Joe is not a nepo baby.
Joe, 19, who she shares with ex husband Martin Freeman, landed his acting debut in a new MGM+ show called The Institute, an adaption of Stephen King's hit novel, set for release later this year.
But his mother, 51, has insisted neither she nor Martin had any involvement in the surprise role and that the teenager got the job on merit.
She told White Wine Question Time: 'Whilst he was doing his A-Levels, he got an agent to come and see his A-Level production of Guys and Dolls, and she put him up for The Institute where he was filming for four months in Nova Scotia.
'I didn't need to help him with his tape, I just read with him and he got the job.
'He didn't use my name, he didn't use Martin's name, [the directors] didn't know who he was and they offered him the job.'
Amanda also reflected on how the breakthrough role turned him into a different person, and that Joe did some growing up on the other side of the Atlantic.
'After five months in Canada, he just came back very changed, he went as a boy and came back a man,' she added. 'It was so lovely to see him.'
It comes after the actress strongly defended her son and claimed he hasn't had a helping hand in showbiz last month.
Amanda told the Mail's Richard Eden: 'He's just done a massive Stephen King show called The Institute, which comes out next year.
'He spent four months in Canada playing the lead in that. He got it all on his own, without anyone's help - there was no nepotism there, which was good. None at all.'
And yet, while his mother insists that his famous surname didn't help him land his latest TV role, Joe's profile on his agent's website makes no secret of his background.
'Growing up with well known acting parents, Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington, Joe has spent much of his life backstage or on a studio set,' Scott Cole management declares.
'He has inherited the natural and engaging talents of both his parents and is well versed in dealing with the publicity that has followed his family.'
While his mother insists that his famous surname didn't help him land his latest TV role, Joe's profile on his agent's website makes no secret of his background
In 2023, Joe was a cast member in the production of Everybody's Talking About Jamie in Tunbridge Wells. He's also appeared in an episode of Doctors and starred in a Paul Weller music video.
However, the teenager, who has a sister Grace, 16, decided to 'finish his studies' before embarking on an acting career full time.
Martin and Amanda met on the set of the film Men Only in 2000 and went on to play formidable duo John and Mary Watson in Sherlock.
They got married in 2000 and divorced in 2016, leaving them to co-parent their rwo children.
He has since gone on to date French actress Rachel Mariam, who has featured in many roles including BBC's smash hit Normal People.
Meanwhile Amanda is now in a relationship with former daredevil Jonathan Goodwin. The couple were friends for years before they began dating.
However they were only together two months before Jonathan became permanently paralysed when he was crushed during a stunt - leaving him in a wheelchair.
Amanda's last 18 months have been dominated by the fallout over her time with professional dancer Giovanni Pernice on Strictly Come Dancing, which saw her leave the show after just six weeks, citing 'personal reasons'.
The actress then accused him of 'unnecessary, cruel and mean behaviour' in July last year.
Giovanni rejected the claims immediately and a BBC investigation ruled in September that her claims of physical aggression and threatening behaviour were not upheld.
Complaints of verbal bullying and harassment meant the corporation issued an apology but the dancer said he was 'pleased the report has not found any evidence of threatening or abusive behaviour'.
In the chat with White Wine Question Time, Amanda doubled down on the claims, saying: 'I just felt I wasn't being treated fairly in that room.'
In the wake of her accusations, she faced heavy backlash from the public, with the Sherlock star noting that she was subjected to '20 to 30 death threats a day'.