Hollywood actor Michael Sheen, best known for his performances in Amadeus, Twilight, A Very Royal Scandal, and more, has paid off 900 people’s debt worth $1million. According to the BBC, the actor took the initiative to help people in his hometown in South Wales.
The people of Port Talbot were majorly affected when Tata Steels closed last remaining blast furnace in September last year. The decision was controversial as it is part of a restructuring plan at the UK’s largest steelworks that would result in the loss of 2,800 jobs.
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Michael Sheen helps 900 people pay off their debts
The portal reported that Sheen started a debt acquisition company to assist 900 people in South Wales. His efforts have been documented in a new Channel 4 show, Michael Sheen’s Secret Million Pound Giveaway, which is set to air next week. The show focuses on exposing how some banks and finance companies profit from society’s most vulnerable.
Sheen revealed that he did not know the identities of the people whose debts he paid off, and only where they lived and the type of debt they had. He added, “I would never know who they are, I still don’t know who they are.” The actor explained that he was able to set up a debt acquisition company with £100,000 of his own funds to buy £1 million worth of debt. Although he initially had “no idea” how the “bizarre” system worked, he said, “it seemed like a good thing to do.”
During an appearance on the One Show on Tuesday, the actor broke down how the debt system operates. He explained that individual debts are grouped together into bundles, which are then purchased by debt-buying companies at a reduced cost. Although the original borrowers still owe the full amount, the companies that acquire these debts can continue reselling them at increasingly lower prices.
How Michael Sheen’s mindset changed
He further shared that there was a point when he almost gave up on establishing the company. However, his mindset changed after filming in a café in his hometown of Port Talbot, where the local steelworks (Tata Steel) were preparing to close. Recalling the emotional moment, he said, “The woman who worked at the café we were filming in told me the story of the men sitting at every table in tears, losing their jobs. And I just thought—then it really hits home. I just thought, anything I can do [to help].”
The documentary is set to premiere on Monday, March 10, a few months after the last remaining blast furnace was closed in Port Talbot, bringing an end to the traditional method of steelmaking in South Wales. The actor urged people to check their bank accounts to see if they are among the 900 individuals whose debt has been written off.
About Michael Sheen
Sheen began his career in theatre, performing throughout the 1990s in stage productions such as Romeo and Juliet, Don’t Fool with Love, Peer Gynt, and The Seagull. He later starred as British Prime Minister Tony Blair in a trilogy of films—The Deal, The Queen, and The Special Relationship—earning nominations for both a BAFTA Award and an Emmy. Over the years, he has made his mark in the industry with roles in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, the fantasy comedy series Good Omens, the television drama Masters of Sex, and more.
Tata Steel’s future plans
After the announcement on the closure of the furnace, Tata Steel said that steelmaking at the site is now set to resume in 2027-2028 as part of a British government-backed investment programme of around GBP 1.25 billion in Electric Arc Furnace-based steelmaking, using UK-sourced scrap steel.
The company said that many of the existing “heavy end” assets, such as blast furnaces and coke ovens, at Port Talbot had reached the end of their operational life. Sustaining the current configuration any longer, or further investment in the traditional heavy end, was not economically or environmentally viable, Tata Steel UK pointed out.
