Michael Sheen on acting to activism, fighting poverty and playing Tony Blair

Michael Sheen talks to Krishnan Guru-Murthy about why his focus has shifted from acting to activism, his campaign to stop high cost credit lenders targeting working class communities, and what he learned from playing Tony Blair.
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[@ComeRee]

Michael Sheen is but another reason that makes me proud to be Welsh, and proud to be from the same area. Humble, generous and giving - eloquent as a bard with his words, and as wise as a Druid in his teachings/what he says - always spoken with bleeding passion from his beating heart. Forged out of the fires of Port Talbot - home of Welsh Steel, he makes me proud to share this land we call home. To recognise the giants shoulders we stand upon, whilst helping the next generations upon his shoulders - he carries our nation without ask for reward or penance, burdens the issues of others upon himself to be the change he wants to see. Why can’t every human be like this? Cymru am byth 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@okaminess]

I am Native American (Navajo) and I understand what you mean about having pride in your people and culture. :) And I’m a Michael Sheen fan!

[@jackie6443]

Tt

[@backslang]

he,s a man trying to help less fortunate communities,not just wales,i get your national pride that he,s welsh but are you not missing the point,he,s fighting high cost credit.for all UK.

[@davidwilliams6525]

Beautifully said and like Michael, clearly, you are passionate and proudly Welsh. I was born in Australia but my father's family originated from a small Valleys community near Neath/Port Talbot. And yes, Cymru am byth!!!!!

[@ComeRee]

When I'm first able to go across the Atlantic - My first port of call is the same as that of Madog ap Owain Gwynedd: To thank the Native Americans for helping and aiding our people from the 1170's. I'm humbled by your culture and would be honoured to experience it first hand whilst sharing with you a bit o Gymru [of Wales] @@okaminess Cariad fawr o Gymru - Much love from Wales x

[@meredithhadaway5512]

He's so wise and so decent. Fantastic interview.

[@TimothyBullYKH]

Michael Sheen is the definition of humanity,

[@nicdafis]

Great to see someone being asked questions, and given the space to answer them, without constant interruption. It shows how broken the BBC model is, however much we enjoy Paxman's greatest hits.

[@dankatz5224]

Nic Dafis funny how communists are always given plenty of time to answer their questions... lol

[@iAmTheSquidThing]

Depends on the context. Politicians need more of a grilling to cut through the BS and hold power accountable.

[@narjitmankoo8478]

Always such a joy to watch Michael Sheen

[@paigegarrison6721]

Fabulous interview. He is so spot on...and I don't care if that wonderful quote (which I've never heard before today) is cliche, it still rings true! Some of us have so much to give, but don't for some reason. Sheen's passion is contagious and he has opened my eyes to put desire into action. "If we don't, who will?"

[@livb6945]

A brilliant interview, with a passionate human understanding complexity. Thank you

[@ButterflyLullabyLtd]

Thank you Michael Sheen. You helped save our School Field and Butterfly Meadow. The Queen made it a rule not to help our children. I got mis-sold by my Bank. No justice. They refused to give me a re-mortgage and money to pay to fix the damp. My daughter has Asthma so I was stuck. No choice. They said I could not afford a remortgage. Total lie. I ended up paying £600 a month for the High Interest loan, and still had my Mortgage which was around £300. £900 a month. I got ripped off. They got me in debt on purpose. So I admire you for speaking about how working class people end up with higher rate loans etc. We have no voice. Gagged. No Justice. They put up every brick wall to prevent us from achieving in life. The Academic Elites destroyed my small Business online. I was mis-sold on our house. It has a blocked off stream that floods the patio. It was not on the Land Registry. Christmas Day I was outside with a bucket trying to stop water coming into our house. The only good thing about this property is the Japanese Knotweed which we had no clue about. I've used this to cure my Asthma. I'm not going to try and sell this house and lie about it. I do not want another family to go through the problems we have had.

[@jenb7756]

The more I learn about Michael, the more impressed I am.

[@ironvlogger9712]

Beautiful wise intelligent thoughtful angel ❤😇

[@elainepayne7047]

These interviews should be on every channel and every print media. Channel4 must make the Tories nervous! Well done Channel 4.

[@mikeharvey9811]

Brilliant in far from the madding crowd. His speech on the nhs very passionate, many great rolls, Thankyou michael Barb

[@rhobatbrynjones7374]

His combination of passion, understanding of the complexity of the issues and commitment to practical solutions to problems is truly inspirational.

[@zizopowerful85]

Great man💪 god bless you

[@ohsomiso]

what do you mean by God Bless?

[@azhaneeothman]

such beautiful voice.

[@ohsomiso]

Personal

[@comediansactorsandall2502]

I love him as Kenneth Williams he done an amazing job

[@__justaviewer]

Uno de los pocos actores que me emocionan fuera de la pantalla :) muy admirable

[@JoannaEve]

Brilliant interview.

[@ctwofirst6635]

Really great interview. Lovely to hear Michael express himself in such depth and with his beautiful Welsh accent. If you're a Good Omens fan, what Michael says beginning at 38:54 will be of special interest. It's basically the gist of what Crowley talks to Aziraphale about in the Edinburgh graverobbing minisode. In the end, Crowley told Elspeth to make the most of the opportunity she gained with Aziraphale's money.

[@yadiramontesinos1768]

Sé bueno. No finjas serlo. Sé bueno ❤

[@TinEE189]

Yea, complete aside and kinda irrelevant to this particular interview. But I am hoping Neil doesn't drop that, and we revisit possibly in another flashback how Elspeth utilises that opportunity.

[@philiprowney]

I like the way Micheal says Por-tahl-buht? He makes it sound like a question.

[@stupidchrissy220]

everything in a Welsh accent sounds like a question

[@jillallsopp7930]

Pity all people with a platform and resources don't have the same empathy with those less well off. The points about equality of opportunity are very well made

[@virginianoir605]

I am a Polish woman living permanently in Germany. Listening to this interview, after two years, I think I understand people wanting Berxit. The problem of the forgotten needs of smaller social groups is striking throughout Europe. Globalization is not good. At least at such a fast pace.

[@baronvonlimbourgh1716]

But the eu is not the problem in this, it is actually fighting against this. We in europe have been shielded from the worst of it because of the eu. Just look at other parts of the world and what happened to these sort of areas there. And like the person being interviewed said as well, the ones who just see this as an oppertunity to profit personally and have no intention of making brexit a positive change are always there, and now seemed to have seized "brexit" as another way to abuse the exact people who voted for this thinking to escape it. And globalisation is unavoidable and in itself not a problem. It is the underlying economic structure and how it is set up to distribute the wealth that is being created trough society. Globalisation is nothing new. It has been going on since the middle ages. Economies used to be 25 people villages. The shift from that to regional economies was just as big as it is for us. And these problems have around since then as well. These problems lie in the structures we have created. Until we set them up differently this will not go away, whatever we do.

[@damien1166]

So true

[@aryastargirl5593]

Problem is though that the brexit wanting tories anf right wing media took advantage of some peoples concerns and turned it into a totally racist campaign. Hate crimes against European immigrants spiked after the referendum results.

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks for posting.

[@lynnemoody7886]

Brilliant Actor, Lovely Guy xx

[@gmonkman]

amazing words

[@patrickcavanaghkilmartin]

Superb!

[@ohsomiso]

profound, be the change.

[@sadhappy8860]

"From acting to activism" Always popular

[@DisobedientSpaceWhale]

I'm glad he clarifies where Port Talbot is to a British interviewer

[@okaminess]

Woohoo!!!!! Love Michael Sheen

[@nejuw]

Love this man

[@stephensharp3033]

Failure is intrinsic to success.

[@maryprincipio]

This is deep

[@learnenglishwithtreesongte5915]

I love and admire Michael Sheen from Ireland

[@inthepubagaineh6318]

He’s from Wales… 😉🤦🏽‍♀😂

[@learnenglishwithtreesongte5915]

Witty ;)

[@user-dm7mj2qc6w]

He has Irish heritage! :)

[@mikeharvey9811]

Brilliant last sentence

[@BOBMAX68]

Unthinkable was Award Winning,

[@anipuig9417]

❤

[@grahamariss2111]

When people knock the idea of us having a constitutional presidency like Finland and Ireland because we would end up electing a "National Treasure", I say why not, our national treasure Michael Sheen has forgotten more about Community Life and Social Mobility than all the Windsors put together will ever know.

[@grahamariss2111]

He has no reason to apologise for being successful, that he is using his success to help the less fortunate is to his credit and contrasts with the likes of Johnson, Rees Mog and Sunak who use their success to help the super rich.

[@TheLadyDelirium]

Carnage was fantastic. No matter what you eat, it's really funny.

[@aeondecker9210]

I am poor as S××× I will have to choose between Amazon and food. Yes but Amazon isn't tat expensive,no it ain't. But you need a computer and an internet hook up as well. But I will get that money. I am just very glad that he never forgot about poverty

[@saturnking77]

In his list of famous actors from Port Talbot, Michael forgot to mention Lateysha Grace, who now has her own show on MTV! Although I don't agree with all his views, he's a credit to the Sheen name - great actor, intelligent, and was with Kate Beckinsale (so great taste in women), and he's a generous soul. Yes, lots of actors are experts in virtue signalling, but I don't detect that with Michael, he seems legit. I don't like football, but his role as Brian Clough was even better than Blair. Shame he's left the playing field.

[@dianadoors1]

He is now with a Satanic creature,Sarah Silverman.No taste at all.

[@noraelgheur6147]

Barry Sheen what does his taste in women have to do with anything

[@stephensharp3033]

Port Talbot voted for Brexit. Michael tries to avoid saying the people were wrong.

[@livb6945]

He's quite clear here, saying that he doesn't know if it was "wrong". I'm not sure you really listened?

[@TheAlmightyAss]

The problem is with these Brexit voting communities, ESPECIALLY in south wales, is that they were heavily funded BY the EU. Biting the hand that feeds you really, that is why most people know that it really is just mostly xenophobia. Its the lazy option, blaming immigrants, not blaming the politicians or greed capitalist fat cats. Just idiocy. I love Michael Sheen to bits I just feel his immense passion is wasted here.

[@egertonmark]

Biting the hand that feeds you? 😆 bend the knee to the globalists.

[@ElGwapo1927]

Did you actually watch the interview? Many leave voters did so for reasons completely unconnected to race/xenophobia. I agree with Mr Sheen on that if not all he said.

[@onlygazza]

😴

[@WillScarlet1991]

Is this Charlie Sheen's dad?

[@WillScarlet1991]

John Mulligan+ Why not?

[@spoonlamp]

Will Scarlett yes

[@Echodolly6]

Charlie Sheen is 53. Michael Sheen is 50. So yes, Michael is Charlie's dad 😂

[@brasschick4214]

Because Martin Sheen is Charlie Sheen’s father.

[@th8257]

He seems like a genuinely nice man, but also very naive. You can't help but get the impression that in his heart he really wants to believe that all working class people are the noble oppressed and good socialists. He has a very romantic frame of mind.

[@TheLadyDelirium]

I also have a very romantic, idealistic personality type. It can be problematic but difficult to change.

[@simiouisreal2496]

Havent watched yet but I'm guessing; "Let in millions of immigrants while I live in a mansion away from the poor"

[@gloriouswretch]

i suggest you actually watch before making any judgements

[@ClwydEnComu]

you'd actually like what he says

[@nicdafis]

Yes, that's an excellent summary of a 40 minute inerview that you haven't watched.

[@Mr-zx8fu]

Simiou Is Real They’ve got you obsessed.

[@th8257]

Why would anyone ever make a comment before watching something? Is it just self regard for your own assumptions?

[@eggsbenedict8449]

boring