Michael Sheen: Difference between revisions
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Sheen was born in [[Newport]], [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]] to Irene and Meyrick Sheen, both of whom worked in [[personnel management]]. His father is also a part-time professional [[Jack Nicholson]] look-alike.<ref>[http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/features/article1211648.ece Michael Sheen: A touch of Frost - Features, Theatre - The Independent<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/6478883.stm BBC News - Sheen's father ill after car row]</ref> Michael has one sibling, a younger sister named Joanne. |
Sheen was born in [[Newport]], [[Monmouthshire (historic)|Monmouthshire]] to Irene and Meyrick Sheen, both of whom worked in [[personnel management]]. His father is also a part-time professional [[Jack Nicholson]] look-alike.<ref>[http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/features/article1211648.ece Michael Sheen: A touch of Frost - Features, Theatre - The Independent<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/6478883.stm BBC News - Sheen's father ill after car row]</ref> Michael has one sibling, a younger sister named Joanne. |
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Aged five, the family moved to [[Liverpool]], and as a talented [[Midfielder#Winger|winger]] he became a lifelong [[Liverpool F.C.]] fan by watching the side of the 1970's.<ref name="Guard1">{{citeweb|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/mar/20/michael-sheen-interview-damned-united|title=That's all I play - me|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|date=2009-03-20|accessdate=2009-03-20}}</ref> Three years later, the family returned to his parents home of [[Port Talbot]], where he attended [[Glan Afan Comprehensive School]] and played [[soccer|football]] for [[Baglan, Neath Port Talbot|Baglan]] boys club.<ref name="Guard1"/> |
Aged five, the family moved to [[Liverpool]], and as a talented [[Midfielder#Winger|winger]] he became a lifelong [[Liverpool F.C.]] fan by watching the side of the 1970's.<ref name="Guard1">{{citeweb|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/mar/20/michael-sheen-interview-damned-united|title=That's all I play - me|publisher=[[The Guardian]]|date=2009-03-20|accessdate=2009-03-20}}</ref><ref name="DMailStyle">{{citeweb|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1160026/After-40-wearing-pants-turns-sinister-Michael-Sheen-style.html|title='After 40, not wearing pants turns into something more sinister': Michael Sheen on style|publisher=[[Daily Mail]]|date=2009-03-07|accessdate=2009-03-20}}</ref> Three years later, the family returned to his parents home of [[Port Talbot]], where he attended [[Glan Afan Comprehensive School]] and played [[soccer|football]] for [[Baglan, Neath Port Talbot|Baglan]] boys club.<ref name="Guard1"/> |
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Dual talented, Sheen was offered a trial at [[Arsenal FC]] after being spotted by the father of [[Tony Adams (footballer)|Tony Adams]] during a family holiday on the [[Isle of Wight]],<ref>[http://www.pr-inside.com/sheen-the-soccer-star-r149670.htm. PR-inside.com]</ref> but chose to pursue an acting career instead. "I was wearing a [[Swansea City F.C.|Swansea]] kit at the time, so everyone called me Swansea, which I hated. Tony Adams was playing against me and I skinned him a few times, so I must have made an impression."<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1160026/After-40-wearing-pants-turns-sinister-Michael-Sheen-style.html]</ref> |
Dual talented, Sheen was offered a trial at [[Arsenal FC]] after being spotted by the father of [[Tony Adams (footballer)|Tony Adams]] during a family holiday at [[Pontin's]] on the [[Isle of Wight]],<ref name="DMailStyle"/><ref>[http://www.pr-inside.com/sheen-the-soccer-star-r149670.htm. PR-inside.com]</ref> but chose to pursue an acting career instead. "I was wearing a [[Swansea City F.C.|Swansea]] kit at the time, so everyone called me Swansea, which I hated. Tony Adams was playing against me and I skinned him a few times, so I must have made an impression."<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1160026/After-40-wearing-pants-turns-sinister-Michael-Sheen-style.html]</ref> Deciding not to take the trial as it would have meant the family leaving Port Talbot for [[London]],<ref name="Guard1"/> he lost interest in football in his early teens as football became a more physical.<ref name="DMailStyle"/> |
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His interest in the [[theatre]] was gained through both school study and parents being members of the local amateur dramatic group,<ref name="DMailStyle"/> which resulted in Sheen joining the West Glamorgan Youth theatre. After leaving school Sheen accepted a place to study acting at the [[National Youth Theatre of Wales]] in [[Cardiff]], and then trained at the internationally renowned [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]. |
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===Career=== |
===Career=== |
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Revision as of 00:30, 21 March 2009
Michael Sheen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michael Sheen |
| Years active | 1993 – present |
| Awards | KCFCC Award Best Supporting Actor 2007 The Queen |
Michael Sheen, OBE (born 5 February 1969) is a BAFTA- and Laurence Olivier Award-nominated Welsh actor.
Having worked with screen writer Peter Morgan on five films,[1] he is best known for his portrayal of Tony Blair in the Stephen Frears directed films The Deal and The Queen, for his portrayal of David Frost in both the stage production and the film version of Frost/Nixon and for portraying the legendary football manager Brian Clough. He is also noted for portraying Lucian in the first and third Underworld films.
Biography
Early life
Sheen was born in Newport, Monmouthshire to Irene and Meyrick Sheen, both of whom worked in personnel management. His father is also a part-time professional Jack Nicholson look-alike.[2][3] Michael has one sibling, a younger sister named Joanne.
Aged five, the family moved to Liverpool, and as a talented winger he became a lifelong Liverpool F.C. fan by watching the side of the 1970's.[1][4] Three years later, the family returned to his parents home of Port Talbot, where he attended Glan Afan Comprehensive School and played football for Baglan boys club.[1]
Dual talented, Sheen was offered a trial at Arsenal FC after being spotted by the father of Tony Adams during a family holiday at Pontin's on the Isle of Wight,[4][5] but chose to pursue an acting career instead. "I was wearing a Swansea kit at the time, so everyone called me Swansea, which I hated. Tony Adams was playing against me and I skinned him a few times, so I must have made an impression."[6] Deciding not to take the trial as it would have meant the family leaving Port Talbot for London,[1] he lost interest in football in his early teens as football became a more physical.[4]
His interest in the theatre was gained through both school study and parents being members of the local amateur dramatic group,[4] which resulted in Sheen joining the West Glamorgan Youth theatre. After leaving school Sheen accepted a place to study acting at the National Youth Theatre of Wales in Cardiff, and then trained at the internationally renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Career
It was during his time at RADA that he scored his first starring role, opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced[7]. Sheen soon established himself as one of the most promising talents on the theatrical scene, notably being cast as Mozart in Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus, which was staged at the Old Vic theatre and directed by Sir Peter Hall. He later reprised this role on Broadway
His screen appearances include the BBC drama serial, Gallowglass (based on the novel by Ruth Rendell), and the films Wilde (1997) (in which he played Robert Ross) and Mary Reilly. However, he remains primarily a stage actor, having starred in high-profile productions of Henry V, Peer Gynt, The Dresser, Caligula and Look Back in Anger, among others.
In 2003, he appeared with Kate Beckinsale in the gothic horror-action film Underworld. Salon review Andrew O'Hehir commented that while the "... entire movie is full of campy overacting... Brolly and Sheen seem to have been selected for their talents in this regard. [8] Sheen has also appeared with Beckinsale in the season seven premiere of Punk'd.
He has become well known for playing real-life characters. He played Tony Blair in the Channel 4 drama The Deal and later, in the film The Queen. He has also played Kenneth Williams in Fantabulosa! on BBC Four, H G Wells in H G Wells: War with the World on BBC Two, and in 2006, he played the role of Emperor Nero in the BBC's Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire.
At the 2005 British Academy Television Awards, Sheen was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in the TV drama, Dirty Filthy Love, in which he played a man with obsessive-compulsive disorder. In 2007, he received two BAFTA nominations, this time for Best Supporting Actor in a Film, for his performance in The Queen, and for Best Television Actor, for his role in Fantabulosa; once again, he was unsuccessful in both cases.
Later that year, he played David Frost in the much-acclaimed Donmar Warehouse production of Peter Morgan's Frost/Nixon, which later transferred to the Gielgud Theatre before heading to Broadway in 2007. He has reprised the role in the 2008 Ron Howard directed film of the same name.
In 2007, he read Paul Torday's novel Salmon Fishing in the Yemen on BBC Radio 4's Book at Bedtime. Also in 2007, Sheen was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[9]
On 2 October 2007, it was announced that Peter Morgan was working on a sequel to The Queen, and that Sheen will be reprising his role as Tony Blair.
In January 2009, he returned as Lucian in the third release of the Underworld series, a prequel to the original 2003 film.
Sheen is to play Brian Clough in Peter Morgan's forthcoming adaptation of David Peace's novel The Damned Utd, based on Clough's 44-day spell in charge of Leeds United. The film is due for release in March 2009.
Other future projects include the upcoming Tim Burton film Alice in Wonderland alongside Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway; in a television series My Last Five Girlfriends, and in an American thriller, Unthinkable , alongside Samuel L Jackson and Carrie-Anne Moss due out December 2009.
Personal life
Sheen and English actress Kate Beckinsale have a daughter, Lily Mo Sheen, born 31 January, 1999. When Beckinsale shot the film The Golden Bowl, Sheen hit actor Jeremy Northam after he had insulted Beckinsale.[1] Their longstanding relationship ended when, during the filming of Underworld (in which they both starred), Beckinsale left him for the film's director, Len Wiseman, whom she then married.[10] Although he did not appear in the 2006 sequel, other than in flashbacks to the first film, Sheen had a prominent role in the prequel Underworld 3: The Rise Of The Lycans, which Wiseman produced but did not write or direct,[11] and in which Beckinsale does not appear.[12]
Sheen lived for a time in the United States with Beckinsale, but since their relationship ended, he now splits his time between United Kingdom and Los Angeles co-parenting their daughter.[7] Sheen has been dating ballet dancer Lorraine Stewart since 2003, whom he met while watching cousin Caroline Sheen perform at the National Theatre.[1][13]
On the 15th July 2008, Sheen was awarded the freedom of the borough of Neath Port Talbot, making him one of the youngest people to receive the honour and putting him amongst a very elite group of people including Sir Anthony Hopkins.[14]
Sheen was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.[15]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Gallowglass | Joe | Made-for-television |
| 1995 | Othello | Lodovico | |
| 1996 | Mary Reilly | Bradshaw | |
| 1997 | Wilde | Robbie Ross | |
| 1998 | Lost in France | Owen | Made-for-television |
| 2002 | Heartlands | Colin | |
| The Four Feathers | Trench | ||
| 2003 | Bright Young Things | Miles | |
| Underworld | Lucian | ||
| The Deal | Tony Blair | Made-for-television | |
| Timeline | Lord Oliver | ||
| 2004 | Laws of Attraction | Thorne Jamison | |
| Dirty Filthy Love | Mark Furness | Made-for-television Nominated Best Actor by BAFTA | |
| The Banker | The Banker | Short film | |
| 2005 | Dead Long Enough | Harry Jones | |
| Kingdom of Heaven | Priest | ||
| The Open Doors | Framton Nuttel | Short film | |
| The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse | Jeremy Dyson | ||
| 2006 | Underworld: Evolution | Lucian | Flash backs only |
| Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! | Kenneth Williams | Made-for-television | |
| The Queen | Tony Blair | Nominated Best Actor in a Supporting Role by BAFTA | |
| Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire | Nero | 6 part television series | |
| HG Wells: War with the World | H. G. Wells | Made-for-television | |
| Blood Diamond | Simmons | ||
| 2007 | Music Within | Art Honeyman | |
| Airlock Or How To Say Goodbye In Space | Adam Banton | Short film | |
| 2008 | Frost/Nixon | David Frost | |
| 2009 | Underworld: Rise of the Lycans | Lucian | |
| The Damned United | Brian Clough | Release Date: 27 March 2009 | |
| Unthinkable | TBA | in post-production | |
| 2010 | Alice in Wonderland | The White Rabbit | in pre-production |
References
- ^ a b c d e f "That's all I play - me". The Guardian. 2009-03-20. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- ^ Michael Sheen: A touch of Frost - Features, Theatre - The Independent
- ^ BBC News - Sheen's father ill after car row
- ^ a b c d "'After 40, not wearing pants turns into something more sinister': Michael Sheen on style". Daily Mail. 2009-03-07. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- ^ PR-inside.com
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b Guardian Q&A
- ^ "Underworld" - Salon.com
- ^ Academy Invites 115 to Become Members
- ^ contactmusic.com: Kate Beckinsale - Beckinsale 'Proud' Wiseman and Sheen Get Along
- ^ Variety, Oct. 25, 2007: "'Underworld' prequel rises", by Tatiana Siegel
- ^ www.cinematical.com: Rise of the Lycans review
- ^ thisissouthwales.co.uk.
- ^ SideReel.com
- ^ "No. 58929". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 31 December 2008.{{cite magazine}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
External links
- Michael Sheen at IMDb
- Michael Sheen Myspace
- Q&A: Michael Sheen at Broadway.com
- 2006 Interview with Michael Sheen on Theatre.com (dead link as of November 26, 2008)
- Yahoo Lifestyle: "The Queen 's Michael Sheen (interview), January 29, no year given
- BBC News, January 11, 2007: "Actor Sheen backs Burberry fight"