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Freddie Highmore earned a Golden Globe nom for his portrayal as Dr. Shaun Murphy in ABC’s The Good Doctor — a nomination that was well-deserved. The drama is the network’s most-watched freshman series in 13 years. Highmore talked to Deadline co-Editor-in-Chief Nellie Andreeva about the upcoming sophomore season and how the role has changed his career as an actor.

Highmore signed on to star in The Good Doctor shortly after the series finale of Bates Motel, which was a fast transition. He was quick to jump on the role because he wanted to work with show creator David Shore and to play the fascinating character of Dr. Shaun Murphy — which has influenced Highmore in his own life.

“Shaun is a better person than me,” Highmore said with a laugh at Deadline’s Contenders Emmys event. “He’s less cynical — my British cynicism has gone down.” He adds that as Shaun grows he learns from him and hopes that the audience does the same.

For the second season, Highmore said he knows a lot but can’t really say much. But what we do know is that the actor will go behind the camera as a director for one episode and will enter the writers room in another. The season will continue to deal with Shaun’s diagnosis as well as his relationship with Lea (Paige Spara). He adds that the heart of it will be the relationship between Shaun and his mentor Dr. Glassman (Richard Schiff).