In 2019, Michael Sheen made a decision to not receive a penny from his acting work for a particular reason.
Sheen has been a fixture in British film and TV for years and you’ll definitely know his face – think Good Omens or even the Twilight saga.
Or if you are from the millennial generation, then you’ll certainly remember him in Underworld.
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However, a few years ago, Sheen decided to put ‘all of his money’ towards helping the 2019 Homeless World Cup after the event’s £2 million funding fell through, as per the BBC.
Michael Sheen made the decision to become a ‘not for profit actor’ (Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)
In a ‘Letter To My Younger Self’ for The Big Issue‘s Jane Graham, he shared that he ‘realised I could do this kind of thing and, if I can keep earning money, it’s not going to ruin me’ – so, he decided to become a ‘not-for-profit actor’.
Sheen also noted that in 2021, ‘3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty’ on Christmas Day, and those who struggle need support to ‘lift themselves out of poverty’.
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Having enjoyed the fruits of his labour, Sheen wanted to give back and in a big way.
He said: “I don’t want to just be someone who enjoys the fruits of what other people have done and then pull the drawbridge up and go, well I’m alright Jack, I’ve had a nice time.
“I’m at the stage of my life and career where I have a window of opportunity that will probably never be this good again. I’m able to get people in a room, I can open doors. I don’t want to look back and think, I could have done something with that platform. I could have done something with that money.”
So, with that in mind, he took a leap of faith and decided to fund the Homeless World Cup.
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Sheen put all of his money towards the event, even selling some of his houses (Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)
He shared: “I had committed to helping to organise that and then suddenly, with not long to go, there was no money. I had to make a decision – I could walk away from it, and it wouldn’t happen.
“And all those people from all around the world who were banking on coming to have this extraordinary experience, maybe a life-changing experience, wouldn’t have it.
“I thought, I’m not going to let that happen. So I put all my money into keeping it going. I had a house in America and a house here and I put those up and just did whatever it took.
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“It was scary and incredibly stressful. And I’ll be paying for it for a long time. But when I came out the other side I realised I could do this kind of thing and, if I can keep earning money it’s not going to ruin me.
“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.”
So, his profits and proceeds go straight to charity, and that’s exactly how he likes it.
