British actor Michael Sheen does not believe in signing a film which does not challenge him. The 47-year-old who has been in critically appreciated films such as Damned United ( 2009) and Frost/Nixon (2008), along with commercial hits such as The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) spoke to us about his latest film Passengers alongside actors Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence.
“I like to challenge myself by doing as many different things as possible. That’s how my acting career has been through the years and that’s how I will be in future as well. So, when I read a script, the role has to excite me,” he says.
“I love fantasy and sci-fi films. I think there are really good stories that come from there. There’s variety as well that pushes one to do different kind of projects. But I haven’t done it just for the sake of doing a different film. I have been part of big commercial projects before as well, but never been drawn to a project like Passengers before. That’s what excited me,” he adds.
Sheen, also lashed out at the British publication, The Guardian, for calling him and other British actors such as Simon Pegg and others as “kooky foils to Hollywood smoothies.”
“I finding the article mildly patronising. We are actors and we work in a film because of the characters we are given and not because of some other reason. As an actor, I have had lead roles in films that have widely appreciated as well. Wether I am playing the lead or supporting actor is strictly according to the script. I like doing varied characters and it doesn’t matter how long or important my role is going to be,” he says.
{{/usCountry}}“I finding the article mildly patronising. We are actors and we work in a film because of the characters we are given and not because of some other reason. As an actor, I have had lead roles in films that have widely appreciated as well. Wether I am playing the lead or supporting actor is strictly according to the script. I like doing varied characters and it doesn’t matter how long or important my role is going to be,” he says.
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