Freddie Highmore is planning a pretty exciting summer by now. The English actor who stars in the ABC medical drama can take a breath from the rigorous shooting days on the set. “The Good Doctor” wraps its Season 3 episodes in the next two weeks. Freddie Highmore and his castmates can savor some contented leisure as “The Good Doctor” has already been granted its fourth season.

Millions of fans are moved each week by the message of hope, acceptance, and inclusion that Freddie Highmore conveys through his character of Dr. Shaun Murphy on “The Good Doctor.” The drama remains not only ABC's top-rated show but is also the top-exported US scripted series.

Freddie Highmore truly has a global following, and he thrives on new projects and challenges.

One of Freddie Highmore's creative adventures in the spring of last year was to work with acclaimed Spanish director, Jaume Balaguero, in the feature film “Way Down” as reported by Variety. Now, the film being Look sold for worldwide distribution through TFI Studio, according to February 27 news from Variety. The star may be spending some of this hiatus from “The Good Doctor” plugging his role as a member of an elite bank heist team in “Way Down.”

Freddie Highmore delights in character departures

Freddie Highmore has always taken great pride in his portrayal of surgical resident, Dr. Shaun Murphy on “The Good Doctor.” The actor goes to great pains to create realism in the character without pigeonholing anyone who may be on the autism spectrum.

He strives to make every episode speak to anyone who may feel like an outlier in life, not simply those affected by autism. Season 3 has seen Shaun Murphy experience more of life and relationships than the young surgeon from Casper, Wyoming could ever have imagined. As Dr. Murphy's girlfriend reminded in the last episode of “The Good Doctor,” “Autopsy”: “Look how far you've come with me, look how brave you were.”

Highmore has made brave choices in his chosen roles.

He starred in five seasons of “Bates Motel,” portraying the young Norman Bates and his disturbing, complicated relationship with his mother, portrayed by Vera Farmiga. Freddie Highmore earned more than his first Golden Globe nomination and directorial debut from the series. The actor and his co-star remain close friends, so much so that Freddie Highmore is godfather to Farmiga’s son.

In “Way Down” Freddie Highmore takes on the role of Thom, an engineering student just out of college and bored. The young genius is captivated by the safe of the Bank of Spain. The prized spot for safekeeping is 100 years old and has no blueprints. Being surrounded by a river provides the best security system possible. The safe room floods if a breach occurs,

The mastermind discovers that a huge lost treasure is set to be deposited, but only for 10 days. He strategizes a plan to take the stockpile during the 2010 World Cup when nearly every bank employee will be completely distracted. There is only 90 minutes to complete the heist.

“Way Down” will be distributed across European, Asian and US markets through cooperative agreements with TFI Studio, Sony Entertainment, Mediaset Espana, and more outlets.

According to Variety, the production is on track to “sell out the world.”

Nothing is lost in translation for Freddie Highmore

Freddie Highmore especially loved his time during the making of “Way Down” because it brought him back to the days of his college studies in Madrid. The versatile star is fluent in seven languages. He was eager to assume the Spanish language role, and it certainly marks a dramatic character departure from the completely honest Dr. Murphy.

Fans may remember that “The Good Doctor” did his best to teach Ellen DeGeneres a phrase or two in Arabic during a visit, but the funny lady stumbled a bit as a student. His director in “Way Down” describes that Freddie Highmore has “impeccable” Spanish.

Faithful viewers of the medical drama consistently witness the power of emotion with no dialogue at all. The ability to generate empathy, even opposite no screen partner at all, is true acting, and a gift to the audience.

Directing was wonderful for Freddie Highmore

His co-star, Jasika Nicole, raved that the Season 3 finale for “The Good Doctor” is sure to be mind-blowing, but Freddie Highmore loves the power in “silences” as the leading man described in a February 24 Yahoo interview this week.

Freddie Highmore had tender scenes with both female loves of Shaun Murphy’s life, and the feeling translated through the screen palpably as the hug with Carly the confrontation with Lea transpired. Jasika Nicole calls Freddie “brilliant” as both a director and an actor, and he raves that Paige Spara’s Lea is “absolutely brilliant” in the closing scene, because the “payoff” of the big moment between the characters is still delivered, with more to come.

Freddie Highmore may take some time away from “The Good Doctor” to attend the premiere of “Way Down” in Spain in November, but the star will always have a home and millions of welcoming hearts at San Jose St. Bonaventure Hospital for as long as TV Shows are allowed.
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