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Actor Michael Sheen has revealed he has given away “pretty much all” of his money, explaining that his relationship with wealth traces back to his feelings as a teenager.
The 57-year-old, who can currently be seen on Celebrity Traitors, has previously described himself as not-for-profit, having sold property to finance a homelessness project and used £100,000 of his personal funds to clear strangers’ debts anonymously.
Speaking to Saga magazine, he said: “At 18, I didn’t care whether I had money or not.
“I wasn’t living in poverty, but I made do with what I had. As with many things in my life, I’ve gone away and then come back home, back to the point where I started.
“I live in Wales again, for example. I never thought I would do that. I’m doing more theatre again.
“I’ve been very lucky that I’ve been able to earn a lot of money, but either on purpose or accidentally, I’ve ended up giving pretty much all of it away.”
Four decades later, the actor—whose credits include The Twilight Saga, Alice in Wonderland, Masters of Sex, Good Omens and The Queen—still “couldn’t care less about material things”.
He added: “I want to make sure my family are all right and we’ve got a roof over our heads and all the rest of it, but I do feel the same way at 57 as I did at 18 about this.
“I never would have anticipated that.”
Reflecting on how life has improved at 57, he highlighted the impact of fatherhood.
The father-of-three has a 27-year-old actress daughter, Lily Mo Sheen, with Kate Beckinsale, and daughters Lyra, six, and Mabli, four, with partner Anna Lundberg.
He said: “For all it was a rollercoaster ride and for all my failings, it just changes you so much. My experience of life is completely different for having been a parent.”
He is also pleased to retain “the same ambition, but without the same kind of insecurity”.
He explained: “When I was a young ‘un, thinking about people who I saw as really old, like over 30, I used to think the tragedy would be to lose your ambition and your desire to change the world.
“I realise now that’s not what goes on at all. You can hold on to those desires. I still have them as keenly, if not more so.
“But I’ve been able to let go of a lot of the insecurities that get in the way, or that maybe manifest in a way that’s obnoxious.
“For example, not being as generous as you should when it comes to taking on board other people’s experiences. It’s not black and white. It’s not bad guys against good guys.”
