Michael Sheen says “it’s hard to accept” non-Welsh actors playing Welsh characters

nme.com:

Michael Sheen has said “it’s hard to accept” non-Welsh actors playing Welsh characters, in a new interview.Speaking to The Telegraph about his new project, Best Interests, the actor reflected on the extent to which actors can play parts that are far away from themselves.

He began talking about this in the context of characters with disabilities being cast with non-disabled actors before extending this to ones of national identity and class.The actor, who is from Port Talbot, said: “You know, seeing people playing Welsh characters who are not Welsh, I find, it’s very hard for me to accept that.

Not particularly on a point of principle, but just knowing that that’s not the case.“That’s a very different end of the spectrum, but a part like Richard III is such a great character to play, it would be sad to think that that character, you know, is no longer available or appropriate for actors to play who don’t have disabilities, but that’s because I’m just not used to it yet, I suppose.

Because I fully accept that I’m not going to be playing Othello any time soon.“Again, it’s not particularly a point of principle, but personally, I haven’t seen many actors who have come from quite privileged backgrounds being particularly compelling as people from working-class backgrounds.