MICHAEL SHEEN

Welsh actor Michael Sheen has become one of the UK’s most respected performers, with a varied career ranging from werewolf Lucian in the successful Underworld film series to playing Prime Minister Tony Blair in Peter Morgan’s political trilogy: The Deal, The Queen, and the forthcoming The Special Relationship. This March sees Sheen getting back in touch with his animal side as the time-conscious White Rabbit in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland ahead of returning to Number 10 to reprise his role as Tony Blair.

Wonderland: Where are you living at the moment?
Michael Sheen: I am mainly in LA these days. I did two films in Vancouver last year, and one in LA, and one in Britain, so I’m sort of all over the place for work. But when I’m not working I try to be in LA with my daughter as much as I can.

You’re lending your voice as the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland – how was that process?
It was very, very pain-free and fun, really. It was very exciting to get to meet Tim and work with him.

How did you find working with Tim?
It was great! I wish I’d had longer, really. I wish I could have put the rabbit ears on and jumped around the set, but unfortunately that wasn’t to be on this occasion.

So was it all in the sound studio?
In sound studios, yes. One in LA, and then one in London in an amazing converted church, which was a suitably gothic and Burton-like place to do it. Tim was there and we worked on it together. I’ve been such a fan of his work for years and years, and I’ve known Helena for a long time as well, so it was lovely to get to meet Tim properly.

Were there other actors with you in the church?
No, we all did it separately. When I was in America, I had someone being Alice for me, but we never actually got together to do the work, although a lot of the people doing the voice stuff I know anyway and we’ve chatted about it.

Can you see any of yourself in the rabbit?
[Laughs] Well, I can see bits! When we were doing the sound recording, we were filmed as well, so they could incorporate arm movements and other character things that we’ve done. So I can see some likeness, but I don’t know if anyone else will.

This year also has The Special Relationship coming out where you are reprising your role as Tony Blair. Do you enjoy playing him?
No, I hate it. That’s why I’ve done it three times [laughs]. It is a great character, but it’s about the scripts themselves. Peter Morgan has written them, and we always thought from the beginning when we first did The Deal that it will be a vague trilogy of films. This third one really covers most of his prime minister years from before The Deal begins all the way to when Bush got [to power]. I was nterested in working with the same people again and going back to the character so I could explore him a bit more.

Have you been following the Iraq War inquiry?
I have been following it like everyone else, really – waiting with baited breath to find out what happens. Also, Blair’s memoirs will be coming out very soon – or as soon as Gordon Brown isn’t prime minister anymore – and that’s going to be incredibly interesting, I think.

Would you be a politician yourself?
Oh God, no.

If you were Prime Minister, what would you do?
I suppose if I can answer that question off the top of my head, it would prove I should never be Prime Minister. Anything you can flippantly answer in an interview about what you would do if you were Prime Minister kind of rules you out.

So what do you enjoy doing away from acting?
I’m writing some stuff and producing and looking into starting a theatre company in LA. And I just want to spend more time with my daughter and be as involved in her life as I can be.

What kind of stage is she at?
She was 12 at the end of January. She has a big passion for writing, so we were talking about that on the phone last night.

Does she have any advice for you?
[Laughs] She likes to hear my ideas. Most of her suggestions seem to be how she can be incorporated and have her popping up in my ideas.

What are you working on next?
I’m going to be doing a couple of episodes of 30 Rock – I really enjoy that show so looking forward to doing that. And then it’s my best friend’s birthday in February, and it’s my birthday in February as well.  So I’m going to go on holiday to Venice and Rome for a week, and then off back to LA.

As a final question: what is your favourite household cleaning product?
Erm, well, I do get a lot of satisfaction from a general bathroom cleaner spray. I do enjoy a spray that can work in the kitchen and the bathroom – I enjoy that immensely.

So not Mr Sheen, then?
No, not Mr Sheen, unfortunately. I’m not into furniture polish – it’s more about other household products, I’m afraid.

[Originally published in Wonderland Issue 21, Fabruary 2010. Photograph Julian Broad/Contour Photos]