UPDATE 12/18 2:40 p.m. ET: Michael Sheen has denied that he wants to quit acting. The actor clarified his previous comments in a Twitter post on Sunday, December 18, writing: “Before this gets ridiculous I said I’m thinking I might start acting less and maybe even stop for a while at some point but don’t know yet.” He further elaborated in a Tumblr post that he told the Times reporter his move to England “might mean I work less as an actor and maybe even stop for a while AT SOME POINT,” but that he would not quit Hollywood completely.
Original story below:
Michael Sheen announced that he’s quitting acting and moving back to England to fight against “fascist” far-right politics following the Brexit vote and election of Donald Trump.
“In the same way as the Nazis had to be stopped in Germany in the Thirties, this thing that is on the rise has to be stopped,” the Passengers actor, 47, told British newspaper The Times on Saturday, December 17. “It’s not going to look like this in 10 years’ time. Everything has shifted. The dice are being rolled again.”
Sheen told the newspaper that he’ll return to his hometown of Port Talbot, Wales, where he plans to devote himself to the grassroots movement and fight the “demagogic” politics “for the time being.”
“It will be a big change for how people relate to me,” he explained. “Once I’m in, I’m fully in, and this is big. As soon as you start to be effective, then people try to crush you, because it’s dangerous.”
The Masters of Sex alum also admitted that the move overseas may put his relationship with Sarah Silverman, his girlfriend of two years, at risk.
Despite the comment, the stand-up comedian, 46, appeared to support her boyfriend’s decision, retweeting a video of Sheen’s 2015 speech at the People’s March for the NHS hours after his interview with The Times was published online.
“There is never an excuse to not speak up for what you think is right,” the actor and political activist said in the video. “You must stand up for what you believe. But first of all, by God, believe in something!”
