Michael Sheen's generosity left him in 'massive debt'

Michael Sheen was in "massive debt" and had "nothing left" after funding the 2019 Homeless World Cup.

The 'Good Omens' actor had led Cardiff's bid to host the tournament but when the money for the event fell through, he sold his houses in Los Angeles and Wales to personally finance the competition, which proved to be a big risk.

He told the Guardian newspaper: “At first, I thought it was the end of everything. I mean, I had nothing left. Not just that, I was in massive debt – I’m still paying it off.”

It was a particularly frightening time for the 56-year-old star because his partner Anna Lundberg was pregnant with their first child, but she was supportive of the move.

He said: “Anyone would have been in their rights to go, ‘Sorry, I didn’t sign up for this.’ It could have gone either way, but I’m very glad that it went the way it did. I just couldn’t have got through that without her.”

And while Michael - who has Lily, 26, with former partner Kate Beckinsale, and Lyra, five, and two-year-old Mabli with Anna - had lost his assets, he found it "very liberating" and doesn't regret the decision.

He said: "There was something very liberating about that as well, but only because I realised that I had a support, a safety net.

"[I'd look at other actors] and I look at what they’ve got, and I haven’t got that. But I made a choice, and I’m very happy with the choice I made.

“I learned a lot from it – about myself and about what matters to me – and I learned that that’s not the end of the story. For me, it was sort of the beginning of the story.”

In 2021, the 'Damned United' star declared himself a "not-for-profit" actor because he is keen to use his earnings for good, and he believes hearing stories of poverty in his home town of Port Talbot in Wales has made him a "better actor".

He explained: "It has given me a different kind of emotional connection to what I do. I find myself more emotionally available in my work than I was maybe when I was younger.

"So, completely selfishly, it’s made me a better actor as well – but that wasn’t something that was conscious.”

And Michael also feels less powerless by using his wealth to help others.

He said: “I think one of the most destructive things about the way we live now is that we’re constantly surrounded by injustice or a sense of things that are not right, and yet feeling like we can’t do anything about it.

"I’ve learned that by engaging in whatever way it is, it at least allows you to feel like you’re doing something.”