Michael Sheen's famous exes, current partner and why he left Hollywood career
Michael Sheen is a widely celebrated Welsh actor and has built an impressive career in both film and theatre. Known for his roles in movies such as Frost/Nixon and The Queen, Michael has also drawn public attention for his personal life, particularly his relationships with well-known figures.
In recent years, the actor from Port Talbot has made a meaningful decision to step back from Hollywood and return to his home country in Wales to focus on local community work and cultural projects, and has said he is “bursting with ideas”, and is putting his own money into launching a new institution, Welsh National Theatre, replacing National Theatre Wales. You can read more about that here.
The 55-year-old has had some prominent roles in some huge Hollywood movies such as Twilight, Underworld, Tron: Legacy. Most recently he's returned to the stage for National Theatre Wales' Nye about Aneurin Bevan the Tredegar-born founder of the NHS. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
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This January he's appearing on BBC One's Michael McIntyre's Big Show where he'll hand over his mobile to the host for some cheeky fun. But what else do we know about Michael and what's he ui
Famous relationships
Over the years, Michael has been linked to several high-profile women, including:
Kate Beckinsale (1995–2003): Michael's relationship with actress Kate Beckinsale began during a touring production of The Seagull. The couple were together for eight years and share a daughter, Lily Mo Sheen, who was born in 1999.
Rachel McAdams (2010–2013): Michael met Canadian actress Rachel McAdams while working on the film Midnight in Paris. The two dated for three years.
Sarah Silverman (2014 - 2017): The Welsh actor was also in a relationship with American comedian Sarah Silverman but the couple eventually split in 2017, reportedly due to the challenges of long-distance.
Anna Lundberg (2019 - present): Michael and actress Anna Lundberg have been together publicly since May of 2019, and things quickly got serious from there, although there hasn't been a marriage proposal yet. Their daughter Lyra was also born in September 2019.
Why he left Hollywood and returning to Wales
In recent years, Michael made a significant change in his career, and embrace a “not-for-profit” approach to acting. He decided to prioritise projects and causes that align with his values rather than focusing on mainstream success.
He told the Big Issue: "There was something quite liberating about going, alright, 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."
A key turning point came in 2019 when he used his personal funds to keep the Homeless World Cup event running in Cardiff. He explained: "There was something quite liberating about going, alright, 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”
The acting star’s return to Wales comes as he got heavily involved in several local initiatives, including helping to fund the new National Theatre for Wales, which will open its first production in 2026. The idea is to showcase stories that reflect the heritage and voices of Wales.
His unique take on politics
Michael recently admitted he has considered going into politics, but said he wasn't sure he could "toe some sort of party line". Despite having been known to share his opinions on topics like Welsh politics or independence, he says he does not want to feel
In an interview with Nation.Cymru, Michael said: "It’s something that I have thought about for many years now.
"Ultimately, I come back to the same thing, which is that I feel like I don’t want someone else to tell me, 'Oh, no, you can’t vote for that', it’s that I don’t want to be beholden to other people.
“I’ve got a freedom and a platform for what I believe in, and I don’t necessarily have to edit or censor that to toe some sort of party line for now. Now, I can see why that's the case in politics and see why you need to be able to do that, but I feel like I’ve got more license and more ability to create the change I want to see by being independent. So whilst that remains, then I wouldn’t want to get involved. But you know that can always change."
