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.
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The comments left people divided online with some coming to his defence on social media while many labelled him as "opinionated" and "hypocritical".
“He plays English and American roles, perhaps if he only played Welsh roles then he could argue but alas he doesn't,” said Jim Pennell. Sharon O’Donoghue joked that “he did play that great Welsh football manager, Brian Clough,” and Liz Williams said that she was “fed-up of his preaching.” Pat Taylor feels like Sheen “has got a serious problem” while Russell Harris said he had lost respect for Sheen as a result of his comments saying that he is “too chippy".
Thomas Evans said that it's the “same Michael Sheen who has played Austrian, French, Italian, Scottish and most recently middle-eastern characters on stage, movie and TV series".
Can non-Welsh actors convincingly play Welsh characters? Have you say in the poll below, or click here to open it in a new window.
On the other hand, Shirley Geary commended him for being “passionate about Wales and its people,” and that it was a “pity there wasn't more like him". Similarly, Ted Jones felt that “the level of understanding to play a Welsh acting role may mean it would be better played by someone who is Welsh, but that should not prevent anyone else from playing a Welsh character’s part”.
Sheen came to his defence on Twitter saying that his comments stemmed from “having heard a lot of dodgy Welsh accents from non-Welsh actors. It’s not about principle, it's about being convincing".
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