Michael Sheen backs Plaid as he describes Wales as being at a political crossroads

Welsh icon Michael Sheen has declared his support for Plaid Cymru ahead of May’s Senedd election, saying the country is undergoing “huge transformation”.

Speaking to Times Radio’s Adam Boulton, the Port Talbot-born star described a country at a political crossroads after decades of Labour dominance.

“Everyone acknowledges that we’re in a moment of huge transformation,” he said, “where, whether it’s conscious or not, people are sort of feeling that the old order is dying, or has died. And there’s a lot of anxiety around what the new is going to be.”

Sheen, widely regarded as one of Wales’ most significant cultural figures, said the political landscape appeared to be shifting dramatically.

“Labour has been the dominant political force in Wales for as long as anyone can remember. That seems to be about to change,” he said. “And the leadership of Wales and the vision for Wales seems to be a battle between, it looks like, Plaid Cymru and Reform. And that’s a very interesting and sort of febrile argument.”

The award-winning actor is set to play Owain Glyndŵr, the medieval Welsh ruler and last native Prince of Wales, in the debut season of the Welsh National Theatre.

He drew parallels between the charged political atmosphere of Glyndŵr’s era and contemporary Wales, while emphasising the unifying power of culture and community.

“No matter whether they’re voting for Labour, Plaid, Reform, whatever it might be, you can see that there is a desire for a sense of community, of togetherness, of feeling like we’re together and a sense of being taken advantage of and being exploited by other groups,” he said.

Sheen has become a defining Welsh icon over the past two decades, not only through acclaimed performances portraying figures such as Tony Blair and David Frost, but also through his advocacy on social justice and his financial backing of community projects.

Community causes

In recent years, he has described himself as a “not-for-profit” actor, pledging to reinvest his earnings into community causes.

Asked whether he was backing Plaid Cymru in the upcoming election, he replied: “Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I am. I think of the parties that look like they have a chance, there’s one that has the best interests of Wales at heart, and I don’t believe the other one does.”