Michael Sheen, the Welsh actor best known for his role as the angel Aziraphale in Good Omens, leads a fascinating life off-screen. From nearly becoming a professional footballer to navigating high-profile relationships and coping with the loss of his father, Sheen has shared candid insights into his personal journey.
A Near Miss with Football
At the age of 12, Sheen was scouted by Arsenal and offered a place on their youth team. However, his family decided against relocating from Wales to London, a decision he later appreciated. He told Entertainment Weekly: 'It was just too big an upheaval, so my father said no on my behalf. I was very upset at the time, but very grateful later on. The chance of actually getting through to the first team and playing professional football in the Premiership is so slim, really, and your career is so short.'
Romantic History
Sheen's first notable relationship was with actress Kate Beckinsale, whom he met during a production of The Seagull in 1995. The couple had a daughter in 1999 before parting ways in 2003. He later dated Rachel McAdams from 2010 to 2013 and Sarah Silverman from 2014 to 2018. Since 2019, he has been in a relationship with Swedish actress Anna Lundberg, with whom he has two daughters, born in 2019 and 2022.
A Moving Family Tribute
Following the death of his father, Meyrick Sheen, at the age of 85 in 2025, a mural in Port Talbot was updated to include his father's face alongside his own. Meyrick, a former British Steel Corporation manager and Jack Nicholson impersonator, was remembered as 'an extraordinary character' with a generous spirit. Michael said: 'It's quite difficult to talk about and process for young children, the passing of someone, the death of a grandparent. But to be able to take them to see this picture of their grandfather on the wall, it's very moving.'
Sheen also co-authored a children's book on homelessness, a cause his family has long supported. Good Omens season 3 is now streaming on Prime Video.
