After eight seasons of playing Dr. Shaun Murphy, Freddie Highmore has delivered some of the most emotionally nuanced and technically impressive performances on television. But when he sat down with us for an exclusive interview, he admitted that the hardest part of filming The Good Doctor has nothing to do with medical jargon, intense surgeries, or even Shaun’s emotional breakdowns.
It’s something far more surprising — and far more human.
“Playing Genius Isn’t the Hard Part. Playing Vulnerable Is.”
Freddie explains that portraying a brilliant surgeon is challenging, but not the most demanding aspect of the role. What truly pushes him to his limits is accurately expressing Shaun’s emotional world without ever betraying the character’s unique communication style.
“The most difficult part,” Freddie says, “is finding the balance between what Shaun feels and what Shaun shows. He feels deeply, but he doesn’t always express it in the way audiences expect.”
Every scene requires careful calibration — micro-expressions, physical stillness, controlled pacing — all while maintaining surgical focus and rapid medical dialogue.
The OR Scenes Are Technically Demanding — But Emotionally Even More
Fans often assume the most intense moments are the surgeries, and Freddie agrees they are challenging — but for a different reason.
“The OR scenes are rehearsed like choreography,” he says.
“What’s truly hard is layering Shaun’s emotional journey under that choreography.”
When Shaun’s hands shake, when he hesitates for a fraction of a second, when he makes a decision driven by trauma rather than logic — those subtle beats are harder to film than the medical complexity itself.
The Storylines That Hit Close to Home
Freddie admits that some storylines stay with him long after filming ends. Episodes dealing with Shaun’s grief, fear of fatherhood, and struggles to be understood are the ones that weigh on him most.
“The emotional episodes take more out of me than the big dramatic ones,” he reveals.
“It’s exhausting in the best way — because Shaun deserves honesty.”
He describes filming Shaun’s panic attacks, relationship conflicts, and moments of self-doubt as the scenes that require the most emotional precision.
Working With Baby Actors Was Another Unexpected Challenge
When asked about the lighter struggles on set, Freddie laughs:
“Working with babies is… unpredictable. Wonderful, but unpredictable.”
With Season 8 exploring Shaun and Lea’s life as new parents, some days involved dozens of takes simply because the baby refused to cooperate — crying, laughing, or staring straight into the camera.
“You can rehearse a surgery perfectly,” he jokes, “but you can’t rehearse with a newborn.”
Why Freddie Loves the Challenge
Despite the difficulty, Freddie speaks about the role with gratitude and pride.
“Shaun has changed me,” he says.
“Playing him forces me to think more deeply, listen more carefully, and be more empathetic. It’s demanding — but that’s why it’s meaningful.”
After eight seasons, Freddie still finds the role evolving, and the emotional depth of Shaun continues to push him as an actor.
A Character That Redefines His Career
For Freddie Highmore, the hardest part of filming The Good Doctor is also the most rewarding: conveying the rich, complex inner world of a man who communicates differently but feels just as deeply.
And it’s that dedication — that precision and compassion — that has made Shaun Murphy one of television’s most unforgettable characters.