Michael Sheen has been praised for writing off £1,000,000 worth of debt for 900 people.
The Twilight Saga actor, 56, spent £100,000 of his own money to start a debt acquisition company to help out Welsh people who have been struggling financially.
Take a look at the actor explain how it works:
Michael Sheen paying off £1million debt
(BBC)
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New documentary Michael Sheen’s Secret Million Pound Giveaway will reveal how the people of Port Talbot are dealing with the closure of their last blast furnace, marking the end of traditional steelmaking in south Wales.
"I’ve always wanted to do something big to expose the unfairness of the system," he said in the teaser.
"I want to see if I can help people going through a tough time, and at the same time I want to do something that gets people’s attention."
During an interview on BBC's The One Show, Sheen explained how the transaction worked.
"£100,000 to buy one million worth of debt seemed like a good deal to me," he began.
"I didn’t have £100,000 to throw around. So I wanted it to be effective.
Michael Sheen has been praised for writing off £1,000,000 worth of debt for 900 people (BBC)
"But when I realised I could do this, get £1million worth of people’s debt and just write it off, it seemed like a good thing to do."
It took Sheen two months to get the licence which had to be kept secret for the documentary.
The Special Relationship star from Newport continued: "People’s debt gets put into bundles. Then debt-buying companies can buy those bundles, and they can sell it on to another debt-buying company at a lower price.
"So even though the amount of people who owe is still the same, the people who own the debt, can sell it for less and less money.
"So I was able to set up a company and for £100,000 of my own money buy £1mill worth of debt, because it had come down in value, because they don’t think there’s as much chance to get the money back. I had no idea this happened."
New documentary Michael Sheen’s Secret Million Pound Giveaway will reveal how the people of Port Talbot are dealing with the closure of their last blast furnace, marking the end of traditional steelmaking in south Wales (Channel 4)
Sheen doesn't know the names of the people he has helped, but he is aware of what area they are from.
This comes after his doubts about the business were put to bed after he was down filming in Port Talbot.
"It was the day the last shipment came in for the steelworks at Port Talbot, and the woman who worked in a cafe told me the story of men who were losing their jobs sitting in tears," the film star said. "Then it really hit home.
"People are going through unexpected events like an illness or a washing machine breaks down or a car. Or even just Christmas. You need some help to get through these times.
"People are getting into spirals of debt, and once you get underwater it’s very hard to get out again."
Ahead of the release, viewers have praised Sheen for his generosity, as one person wrote on X: "Really moved by this man who works tirelessly to help people and to spread kindness and awareness, using his platform for so much good. He’s a real inspiration."
"He’s too good for this world. His kindness, his empathy, his sense of justice, his desire to fix things, certainly seem like things from another world," another added.
Michael Sheen, 55, admits he has one ‘worry’ over big age gap with girlfriend
The actor said he was 'concerned' about the age gap
Michael Sheen has candidly opened up about the age gap he has with his girlfriend.
The Welsh actor - known for his roles in The Deal, The Queen and The Special Relationship - has admitted he's 'concerned' about being in a relationship with someone who is five years older than his daughter.
The father-of-three was recently quizzed about his personal life on BBC's The Assembly by 'a group of autistic, neurodivergent and learning disabled people', who were allowed to ask the actor anything they liked.
35 neurodivergent people were in the audience as the special was shown in conjunction with Autism Awareness Week (April 2-8), on Friday (5 April).
One woman brought up Sheen’s relationship with Anna Lundberg, 30, asking: “How does it feel to be dating someone who is only five years older than your daughter?”
Sheen, who has two children with Swedish actor Lundberg, as well as a 25-year-old daughter with ex Kate Beckinsale, admitted that it is 'not the easiest thing to do'.
He said: “Because of the age difference, I think both of us were quite surprised when we got together.
Karwai Tang/WireImage
"I don’t think either of us were looking for that. It’s not like I’ve dated lots of people who are much younger than me, but you meet who you meet."
“We were very aware of what differences that would make and also how people might respond to that,” he added.
“It’s not like it was the easiest thing to do. We were both aware it would be difficult and challenging. Ultimately, we felt it was worth it because of how we felt about each other.”
“Because of the age difference, I’m aware that I’m a much older father,” he said. “It does worry me. It makes me concerned.
"It makes me sad thinking about the time I won’t have with them.
Jeff Spicer/Getty Images
“But ultimately, I think if you find someone who brings you happiness and you make them happy, you’ve got to go for that.
"So that’s what we decided to do and I’m so happy we did as we have this wonderful family now."
The couple have been together since 2019, having met on sitcom Staged, which co-stars David and Georgia Tennant.
Sheen has previously been with Kate Beckinsale (1995–2003), Lorraine Stewart (2004–2010), Rachel McAdams (2010–2013) and Sarah Silverman (2014–2018).
Lundberg and Sheen share daughter Lyra, three, and welcomed their second child, a baby girl, in May 2022.
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