Michael Sheen: ‘I have considered going into politics’

David Owens

It would be a surprise to no one when Michael Sheen reveals that he has considered getting into politics.

Viewed as one of Wales’ most inspiring individuals, a firebrand speaker renowned for his political and social activism, many people have long tipped the Port Talbot-born star to head into the political sphere.

It’s something that Sheen himself admits he has at oft times thought about.

He has never been one afraid to discuss ‘political’ issues or make his voice heard at the Senedd or the Houses of Parliament.

He has variously made calls for discussions about Welsh independence, aired forthright views about the institution of the Prince of Wales title, showed support to a cross-party campaign of Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour focused on devolving the Crown Estate to Wales and most recently called for a Fair Banking Act to help tackle the unaffordable credit crisis in the UK.

“It’s something that I have thought about for many years now,” he says. “Ultimately, I come back to the same thing, which is that I feel like I don’t want someone else to tell me, ‘Oh, no, you can’t vote for that’, it’s that I don’t want to be beholden to other people.

“I’ve got a freedom and a platform for what I believe in, and I don’t necessarily have to edit or censor that to toe some sort of party line for now. Now, I can see why that’s the case in politics and see why you need to be able to do that, but I feel like I’ve got more license and more ability to create the change I want to see by being independent.

“So whilst that remains, then I wouldn’t want to get involved. But you know that can always change.”

Speaking to Nation Cymru as he launched the Welsh National Theatre, described as ‘a new dawn for theatre in Wales’ with a vision to create world class work from the country, it was created as a result of the demise of National Theatre Wales, when the company’s funding from Arts Council of Wales was cut.

It’s yet another grand statement of intent from Sheen, who will be the theatre’s artistic director, using his own money to get the project off the ground.

Never one to trade in empty platitudes, his unyielding ambition and desire to showcase the best of Wales, has now manifested itself as he heads on a theatrical journey which he hopes will reverberate for generations to come.

Its a beautiful morning @WelshNatTheatre https://t.co/LYrA46TFAI

— michael sheen 💙 (@michaelsheen) January 10, 2025

“This is a new dawn for theatre in Wales.” he says. “We’ll be a home for our greatest talent, bringing them together to create ambitious theatre which makes our national story come alive. That’s what national theatres should do.

“Wales has such a rich storytelling history but our stories are underexplored in the English language, both at home and internationally. I’ve spent much of the past year on stage playing Aneurin Bevan in Tim Price’s ‘Nye’ to packed houses, both in and out of Wales. Audiences have a huge appetite for our stories if we give them the chance to experience them.

“Our plays and performances will tell the stories of Wales’ past, present and future, as well as classics seen through a Welsh lens. They’ll be produced on the grandest stages around the world, by world-class Welsh talents. We want truly ambitious writing from Welsh playwrights for the best actors in Wales, to be the pinnacle of our creative talent, raising the bar for excellence in entertainment.

“We want to help create a world where the stories of Wales help us make sense of tomorrow. Where the people of Wales understand their power to change society thanks to the spark of a performance on our stage. Where Wales is respected as a nation with a powerful voice and a story to tell.”

Since moving back to Wales more than a decade ago, Sheen has thrown himself into service to the people of the nation he loves, giving back to the ‘country who made me who I am’.

In 2019, he famously sold his own houses to fund the Homeless World Cup in Cardiff when its £2 million funding fell through at the last minute.

The Welshman has declared himself a ‘not-for-profit actor’ announcing that he would be giving all of his future earnings to his various charitable and community causes.

His altruism and philanthropy can be seen with such ventures as Mab Gwalia, a community organisation giving the underprivileged in Wales the opportunity to fulfil their potential and A Writing Chance, which gives new and aspiring writers from working-class and lower-income backgrounds resources and access to the writing industries.

Most recently it was revealed that the actor, who is a prominent campaigner on issues surrounding debt, had written off the personal debts of hundreds of people in South Wales.

He did not publicly announce the move, but fans discovered it when they spotted Facebook posts in local community groups from a television production company who are making a documentary about Sheen’s highlighting of the debt crisis in the UK.

The Good Omens actor, who gained glowing reviews for his performance as Aneurin Bevan in ‘Nye’ at the Wales Millennium Centre, describes his motivations simply as repaying a debt of gratitude to Wales.

If you want use historical metaphor he can be seen as a Welsh Atlas carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders. Having done so much for so many for so long in Wales, he does however admit to feeling a pressure on himself to ensure these various ventures and pursuits are ultimately successful.

“I do, I do feel pressure, but I would feel a lot more pressure if I wasn’t doing anything about it when I knew I could,” he says.

“I know I would feel far more pressure if I was sitting there thinking, ‘well, I could do something about this, but I’m not going to, because I’m a bit scared or it might not work out , or what would people think, then I would feel a lot worse pressure. It’s good pressure and it also gets more than balanced out by the kind of joy of it and the feeling of being of service and contributing and using what I’ve got, what I’ve been given by this country.

“Everything I’ve got, everything I’m putting in, I wasn’t born with it. It was given to me by my parents, by my family, by my local community, by a local education authority when I was growing up, by all those people who volunteered to be part of youth theatre, all those people who give up their time to do all this stuff, I stand on their shoulders.

“So any pressure is completely balanced out by a feeling of the privilege to honour what those people gave me.”

No one should ever doubt Michael Sheen’s sincerity nor his humility. His fire is forged from a burning passion for a nation that he says has given him everything and made him the man he is today.

We are lucky to have him.