Michael Sheen to swap acting for activism against 'populist right'

[inanna]

Saturday 17 December 2016 16.13 GMT

‘It will be a big change for how people relate to me,’ says the actor who was galvanised by his hometown’s vote for Brexit

Michael Sheen plans to abandon his acting career to fight what he calls the rise of the “hard populist right” in Britain and beyond, according to a recent interview to publicise his new film.

The 47-year-old, perhaps best known for playing Tony Blair in the film The Queen, starring Helen Mirren, told The Times he plans to “work less as an actor, and possibly stop ... for the time being”.

“Once I’m in, I’m fully in, and this is big. It will be a big change for how people relate to me,” he said in an interview to promote the new Jennifer Lawrence sci-fi blockbuster, Passengers, in which he plays a robotic barman.

<snip>

Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election put “massive urgency” into a decision to go home. “How can I be most effective?” Sheen said. “What am I going to do?” as he jabbed himself in the chest.

...

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/dec/17/michael-sheen-to-swap-acting-for-activism-against-populist-right

I daresay that Trump's "victory" has put a lot of "urgency" into a lot of
decisions all around the world.

There's almost 2500 comments on this article over at The Guardian.

[progressoid]

1. Good for him.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Hold on - his blog: "What I Did Not Say"

I did one interview with The Times of London a few weeks ago, parts of which (including a headline that is not a quote) have been picked up by a lot of other outlets. I DID NOT declare that I’m ‘quitting acting and leaving Hollywood’ to go into politics.

In the actual original interview I said I have become more involved with community issues back at home over the last few years and because of the political situation it’s something I would like to focus on more. The interviewer asked me what that meant for my career and I said it might mean I work less as an actor and maybe even stop for a while AT SOME POINT. But I don’t really know yet.

I certainly did NOT equate people who voted for Brexit or Trump with a fascistic 'hard right’ that must be stopped. The majority of people in the U.K., including my hometown of Port Talbot, voted for Brexit. That is the will of the people and is to be respected. That is democracy. Given the concerns around the economy in the area I come from and its industrial history I totally empathise with the dissatisfaction with the status quo that the vote was partially an expression of.

What I think must be resisted is the re-emerging spectre of fascism in the West. Our democracy must be defended and each of us needs to decide how we can contribute to that effort.

http://mchshe2.tumblr.com/post/154616648590/what-i-did-not-say

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/dec/18/michael-sheen-denies-rumours-he-is-swapping-acting-for-activism

[inanna]

9. Thanks for the update.

Had been following the comments following the article in OP.

Was not aware of this til you posted.

[Aristus]

3. Facebook comments for this announcement include those from Trumpsters

who snarkily bleat that they've never heard of Michael Sheen.

I submit that it's because they don't watch movies where the characters speak in complete sentences...

[oberliner]

4. What is he most well known for?

Speaking as a non-Trumpster, I must confess that I am not altogether sure who he is.

[Aristus]

5. He played Prime Minister Tony Blair in the movie "The Queen", with Helen Mirren.

He also plays Dr. William Masters in the cable series "Masters Of Sex."

[oberliner]

6. Gotcha

I remember him now from Frost/Nixon.

[Aristus]

7. Oh yeah. He was good in that.

He's a good actor.

IRL, every time I saw Blair in an interview in which he was put on the spot for his support of GWB and the Iraq War, I was fiercely glad to see the flop-sweat start to pour down.

When I saw Sheen's Blair in sticky situations in the movie, I felt sorry for him. That's good acting.

[inanna]

10. Sheen is a VERY good actor.

That's why I got excited over the original article.

[Denzil_DC]

8. In March 2015 he caused quite a stir

by giving an impassioned speech about the NHS that went viral:

Full text of Michael Sheen's speech
Transcript of actor’s speech at St David’s Day march to celebrate the NHS and its founder, Aneurin Bevan, on Sunday

In 1945 Aneurin Bevan said: ‘We have been the dreamers, we have been the sufferers, and now, we are the builders.’ And my God, how they built. And what they built. Every bit as much a wonder of the world as any architectural marvel, or any natural miracle … The National Health Service. A truly monumental vision. The result of true representation. Of real advocacy. A symbol of equality, of fairness, and of compassion.

The nation that swept the postwar Labour government into power was made up of people who had faced the horrors and the hardships of the second world war. And had bound together as one community to overcome them. They had been sustained and inspired by their feeling of comradeship, and their sense of responsibility for their fellow man and woman. Compelled to help those in need and those struggling in the face of hardship.

These were the experiences that shaped them, and this was the vision of life that the welfare state was born out of. Faced with an enemy that sought only to divide, the National Health Service strove for unity. Where they traded in fear-mongering, and blame, and exploitation of the vulnerable, the NHS represented compassion, and generosity, and acceptance. Where they slavered with voracious self-interest, the NHS symbolised courageous self-sacrifice for the good of all.

In his book In Place of Fear, Bevan said: ‘The collective principle asserts that no society can legitimately call itself civilised if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means.’

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/mar/02/full-text-of-michael-sheens-speech

I have no doubt about his sincerity and abilities. Just a shame his intentions were misreported on this occasion.