Welsh actor Michael Sheen has caused a stir online after stating that he is opposed to non-Welsh actors playing Welsh character roles. The Newport-born, Port Talbot-raised 54-year-old - who was speaking ahead of the release of his new BBC series, Best Interests - has previously played English football manager Brian Clough and Scottish-born Prime Minister Tony Blair.
“Seeing people playing Welsh characters who are not Welsh, I find it's very hard for me to accept that,” he said in an interview with The Guardian. “Not particularly on a point of principle, but just knowing that it’s not the case.”
Sheen, who is set to star in the second season of Good Omens, went on to further comment about actors playing roles that don’t represent their backgrounds. He said, “I haven’t seen many actors who have come from quite privileged backgrounds being particularly compelling as people from working-class backgrounds. If you haven’t experienced something, the extreme example is if you haven’t murdered someone, can you play a murderer?” You can read more on that here.
