Michael Sheen has clarified comments he made about swapping acting for activism.
In an interview with The Times, the Welsh actor reportedly told the paper he was leaving Hollywood for his hometown of Port Talbot and foregoing acting for grassroots activism to combat the wave of “demagogic, fascistic” politics he believes is rising in the West.
The interview explained how “one of the greatest actors of his generation is returning home to Port Talbot,“ adding: ”Michael Sheen explains why he’s leaving Hollywood behind.”
“It means that I would work less as an actor, and possibly stop,” he was quoted as telling the paper, before replying: “Yeah. Certainly for the time being,” when asked if he would stop acting completely.
But Sheen has now said he is only considering putting his acting career on the backburner.
“The interviewer asked me what that meant for my career and I said it might mean I work less as an actor and maybe even stop for a while,” he said on Sunday.
Sheen said he might stop acting “at some point” but added: “I don’t really know yet.”
“I certainly did NOT equate people who voted for Brexit or Trump with a fascistic 'hard right’ that must be stopped,” he continued. "The majority of people in the UK, including my hometown of Port Talbot, voted for Brexit. That is the will of the people and is to be respected. That is democracy. Given the concerns around the economy in the area I come from and its industrial history I totally empathise with the dissatisfaction with the status quo that the vote was partially an expression of.
“What I think must be resisted is the re-emerging spectre of fascism in the West. Our democracy must be defended and each of us needs to decide how we can contribute to that effort.”
