WALES, United Kingdom — Known for his role as Aro in Twilight and Aziraphale in the Amazon Prime hit Good Omens, Michael Sheen dominates both stage and screen with his powerful presence. But the Welsh idol has yet another little-known awe-inspiring role – as an advocate for those most in need.
Examples of Michael Sheen’s Advocacy Work
Michael Sheen’s advocacy work first began in 2010 when he became involved in UNICEF’s SoccerAid. SoccerAid, founded in the U.K. in 2006, invites teams of celebrities to compete against one another in a charity football match and is due to recommence this upcoming June.
Sheen further partnered with UNICEF in 2013 when he visited Syrian refugees. Sheen’s advocacy work here involved traveling to the Faida settlement within eastern Lebanon to meet with children who had to flee their homes and take up residency in refugee camps following the outbreak of conflict in Syria.
Children and their families were living in makeshift tents on the brink of a cold snap with just the clothes they were wearing whilst fleeing. Alongside UNICEF Michael helped give out winter gear such as thermal hats, underwear and coats to those within the camp.
Sheen visited Lebanon in 2016 to meet again with families and children living in refugee camps who were crucially benefitting from ongoing support on behalf of UNICEF.
In 2018, as part of his ongoing support of UNICEF, Sheen visited a Child-Friendly Space in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh. Child-Friendly Spaces are places where children affected by crises can receive psychological support.
The Inspiration
The government estimates that just over 11,000 people were deemed homeless across Wales in the years 2021-2022.
It is this rate of homelessness that encouraged Sheen to support the Homeless World Cup on behalf of Wales, eventually becoming a Homeless World Cup Champion. He states “You go down the high street and you see people in tents. And there’s been controversy about how the authorities have handled it.”
Some of the world’s most impoverished countries partake in this event including Bangladesh, Ghana and Paraguay. The Homeless World Cup has helped improve lives – 94% of players say that the Homeless World Cup has positively impacted their lives and 83% of players have improved relationships between them and their family and friends. A further 90% of people say they have a more positive outlook toward homeless people after attending the event.
Economic Struggle
Though he is now a Hollywood star, Sheen grew up in 1970s Port Talbot. This area, situated in South Wales, was prosperous due to the thriving coal mine industry. This success lasted until the 1950s when workforce cuts caused the economic decline and the main coalmine in Port Talbot, the Cefn Coed colliery, closed in 1968.
The loss of the coalworks was felt for many years across the area. A report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) suggests that high numbers of Valley-born miners appear to suffer from health issues including poor mental health. A large proportion of workers in the area have no or few qualifications and there is a high incidence of manual work, which the report suggests is due to “fewer job opportunities and diminished expectations.”
Being around such economic struggle may be a factor in Sheen’s choice to declare himself a “not-for-profit actor,” deciding to siphon the funds he receives for his acting work into helping charities in need.
Sheen has said, “I want to be one of those people who help other people the way that they have helped me. I don’t want to look back and think, ‘I could have done something with that money’. […] I’ll put large amounts of money into this or that because I’ll be able to earn it back again. I’ve turned myself into a not-for-profit actor.”
Michael Sheen’s Advocacy Work Inspires Others
It comes as no surprise that Michael Sheen’s advocacy work has inspired others to advocate too. Fans of the thespian founded the not-for-profit charity The White Curl in 2019.
The charity, which Sheen himself is a part of alongside Good Omens co-star David Tennant, offers fans the chance to get their hands on one-of-a-kind Michael Sheen merchandise whilst supporting charities most in need with tremendous mobilization and education efforts. The support does not end when the merchandise has been given away – The White Curl prides itself on continuing relationships with each charity they support, encouraging year-round donations and promotional work.
One thing is for certain – Michael Sheen’s advocacy work is rewarding. Even more crucially, his work shows not just how successful advocacy can be, but how far-reaching the effects of advocacy are, and just how easily anyone can advocate for those who need it most of all.
– Chloe Jenkins
Photo: Flickr