Michael Sheen has revealed that he gave away "pretty much all" of his money, describing himself as a not-for-profit actor. The 57-year-old star, known for roles in The Twilight Saga, Far From The Madding Crowd, and Good Omens, has used £100,000 of his personal funds to clear the debts of strangers and sold property to finance a homelessness project.
Early Attitude to Money
Speaking to Saga Magazine, Sheen shared that he "didn't care" about money when he was 18. "I wasn't living in poverty, but I made do with what I had," he said. "As with many things in my life, I've gone away and then come back home, back to the point where I started."
He added that he feels "very lucky" to earn a lot of money, but "either on purpose or accidentally, I've ended up giving pretty much all of it away." Sheen said he wanted to make sure his family - daughters Lily Mo, 27, Lyra, six, Mabli, four, and partner Anna Lundberg - is alright, but still feels the same way about money that he did 38 years ago.
Turning Point and Projects
Back in 2021, Sheen called himself a "not-for-profit actor" in an interview with the Big Issue. He shared that he sold his own houses to bankroll the 2019 Homeless World Cup after funding for the project fell through. He said that moment was a turning point because he realised he could do those kinds of things and "it's not going to ruin me."
"There was something quite liberating about going, all right, I'll put large amounts of money into this or that, because I'll be able to earn it back again. I've essentially turned myself into a social enterprise, a not-for-profit actor," he said.
Community and Education Support
Sheen has also set up the End High Cost Credit Alliance, which helps people find affordable ways of borrowing money, and pledged £50,000 over five years to fund a bursary that would help Welsh students go to Oxford University.
He also shared that making The Passion in his hometown of Port Talbot in 2011 helped him figure out what he really wanted to do with his money. "I got to know people and organisations within my hometown that I didn't know existed. Little groups who were trying to help young carers, who had just enough funding to make a tiny difference to a kid's life by putting on one night a week where they could get out and go bowling or watch a film and just be a kid. I would come back to visit three or four months later, and find out that funding had gone and that organisation didn't exist anymore," he said.
Sheen is currently appearing on Celebrity Traitors, where he is playing for a prize of £100,000 to be donated to a charity of the winner's choice.
