Michael Sheen on Robert Pattinson (New Interview)

Michael Sheen is one of the most diverse actors around, and he relishes his well-rounded career. He has played a Lycan in the Underworld series, a member of the Volturi in Twilight Saga: New Moon and the White Rabbit in Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland. He has also played real-life characters like talk show host David Frost, legendary British soccer coach Brian Clough and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. You’ll be hearing his voice in the forthcoming Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue, and he has a role in TRON: Legacy.

While promoting Alice, Sheen took time out to chat with ADD about his recent work, his multifaceted career and a rising young star named Robert Pattinson. Our discussion about Tinkerbell and Alice will surface in another outlet at a future date.


You recently played Tony Blair for a third time. You’re like Martin Sheen playing the President of the United States.
I guess so, yeah. We always talked about it as being the three films. The very first one was for British TV called The Deal, and then of course we did The Queen. The third one is The Special Relationship. It was always going to be three stories that Blair was involved in. They’re all written by the same man [Peter Morgan], which is why I’ve done them. I’m not a Blair-For-Hire. I’ve only played the same character three times because it’s the same team behind it, but I think this is the end of it now.



Sheen's third time playing Tony Blair.
What is this last one about?
It’s about Blair and America, about Blair’s relationship to and with America, and focusing on Blair and Clinton.

Did it become a challenge to go back to that role and try to get something fresh?
There was never any danger of not being able to get anything new. The Deal ended when Blair became leader of the Labour Party. The Queen followed on with when he became Prime Minister and a very early week in his Prime Ministership. And now this one goes before The Deal and way beyond The Queen, so there’s a lot more scope here. It’s a different kind of journey for Blair in this one, so there’s always something new because it’s different period of his life and a different focus. Each time I come back to the character, hopefully I’ve added in a bit more and there’s a bit more depth, color and texture.

You have done many serious dramatic films as well as some epic genre movies. Do you like that one minute you can play a member of the Volturi and the next minute you’re portraying a famous talk show host?
That’s what I love about this job. It’s why I got into it, I suppose. I have very wide-ranging tastes myself, and so the variety of parts is what keeps it interesting for me.

bryanreesman via ToR