Michael Sheen Quotes

Getting older is a struggle. I always feel that just under the surface of acceptance and enjoyment of the ageing process is a terrible hysteria just waiting to burst out.

I don't do the whole L.A. nightlife thing.

When you look at all the miracles attributed to Jesus, they're all about change.

I suppose I'm something of an eccentric dresser.

Acting itself is quite scary. Some people say that actors are show-offs, very egotistical and all that kind of stuff, but it is quite scary.

I'm not a Tony Blair impersonator.

No matter how difficult things are, and no matter how much grief and loss there is, you can turn it into something positive.

I am prone to get carried away thinking about creative projects.

On the one hand Twitter gives you the opportunity to engage with people, which is great, but on the other there are people who feel they can say whatever they want, put poison out there, really, without fear of any repercussions.

I love being able to play as many different characters, in as many different worlds as I possibly can. That's what I really enjoy.

'Hamlet' is one of the most dangerous things ever set down on paper. All the big, unknowable questions like what it is to be a human being; the difference between sanity and insanity; the meaning of life and death; what's real and not real. All these subjects can literally drive you mad.

I'm a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy - not so much horror because I get a bit scared.

My chief gifts are - naturally good at all sports with a raw talent for pretty much everything, which if nurtured could develop into improper talent.

As a general thing, I've always been drawn to characters who appear to be one thing on the surface, but are actually something else underneath.

Change the scheme! Alter the mood! Electrify the boys and girls, if you'd be so kind.

I remember someone said to me, "Never stand up when you can sit down, never sit down when you can lie down, never lie down when you can be asleep." Those are bits of advice that I haven't taken, really. I've done the opposite of them, but they have stayed with me.

For me, what makes life enjoyable is having a shared culture and shared references.

I can be a lazy dresser.

I don't want to do something that I've done before; I can't see the point of it.

I think parenthood is a wonderful balancing act. On the one hand, you want to spend as much time with your children as possible. On the other hand, you want to set an example for them to see that you're fulfilled in your life and in your work.

My dad is a Jack Nicholson lookalike and a frustrated performer, my mother's into reading and poetry. I suppose the thing I owe them most is my confidence.

Everyone deserves compassion.

Hopefully, any character I play has an anchor in reality. The more fantastical characters, or fantastical worlds that they inhabit are really fun and allow you, in some ways, to tell stories and reveal things about our lives that would be harder to take, in a more realistic setting.

Hopefully, any character I play has an anchor in reality.

In the case of two actors connecting with each other and trusting each other, our bodies have memories without us having to consciously think about it, so rather than think, "Oh, I must think about my daughter dying," you just let that go and trust that you have all the emotions you need in there, and by losing yourself in the scene, that stuff kicks in without having to spend the day thinking about horrific things happening to your own child.

It's funny the more technological advanced everything gets, the more like acting in your bedroom when you're a kid it is.

The first job I ever did in the theatre, I was supposed to be a genius piano player. I couldn't play the piano, but you just sit there at a piano like you're playing, and suddenly all this amazing music comes out and the audience believes you can do it. It's the same with computers. I love scenes where there are people yanking at monitors, "yes I'll put you through now," and you know they're just doing that. But you can look brilliant at all this technology. I love it.

I try not to pay any attention to clothes fascism and I'd rather be thought of as someone who has his own sense of style.

In terms of how prudish Americans were in the '40s and '50s, I have absolutely no idea. I do know about the character that I play. And I don't think it's about being prudish. I think it's about trying to balance a sense of control in this man's life.

I think the story of 'Alice in Wonderland' in a way is a reminder that life is frightening, it can shift on you at any moment.

I have a daughter, and fairies meant a lot to her growing up.

I suppose I've got a reputation for playing quite extreme characters and making them quite believable.

You don't want to get into doing the same thing, over and over again. I know I don't.

A lot of the times when I've auditioned for parts in America, the answer is, 'Sorry, we need a bigger name.'

My tragedy is that all I want is a dog, and yet I have been cursed with cats all my life.

When you come to actually act, it's a game. It may be a very serious game, but it's still a game. If you lose that sense of play, the work suffers.

We live in a bubble of the fantasy of death, but the reality of it is something that we obviously all face and have to deal with, at some point.

And so, in terms of setting the right tone and finding a way of presenting all of these things, that creates a cohesive whole and doesn't alienate the audience, is tough. That's a challenge. And I think the tone of a lot of shows is discovered through experimentation and actually making it. Eventually, it starts to cohere.

I've always loved animation and animated films.

I think the best acting is when you allow yourself to be kind of vulnerable in the moment.

We knew, very early on, that we had to be very, very clear that directors need to speak to actors and actresses and be very clear about what is expected, and find out whether they're comfortable with that. Wardrobe has to be in place. There have to be checks.

So, if they're coming in and having to do scenes that involve nudity or sexuality, in some way, the utmost important thing is that everyone feels comfortable and safe. If there's any gray area, that's going to be a problem.

When you're working on something where there's usually one sex scene in the film, it all gets a little bit of a gray area and people get a bit uncomfortable and awkward. You just get through it. But, it became very clear on this that that can't happen. There can't be any gray areas on this because there are actors and actresses coming in for a day or a couple of days, as well as people who are there regularly.

My rule of thumb is that I want to do things I'd like to go and see myself.

Although my family - parents and sister - all work in the personnel management business, their real passion is performing, amateur operatic societies and so on.

I think I'm becoming more relaxed in front of a camera. I suppose I'll always feel slightly more at home on stage. It's more of an actor's medium. You are your own editor, nobody else is choosing what is being seen of you.

I find increasingly that the more extreme are the things going on in your life, the more cultural reference points fail you. More mythical reference points actually help, and you realize that's what myths are for. It's for human beings to process their experience in extremis.

We see death constantly on film.

When I was at drama school, I wanted to change the world, and thought I had some great wisdom to impart to people about humanity. Now that I'm older, I know enough to realise that I know nothing at all.

I don't find the life in Hollywood all that meaningful or inspiring.