Michael Sheen

A fearless and affecting actor, Michael Sheen has drawn international notice for his biopic-based performances, but has won over audiences in various genres. After choosing the performing arts over a potential English football career, Sheen trained on the stage of the legendary Old Vic Theater, later making it to Broadway in the title role of Amadeus. Since then, he's portrayed such noted men as journalist/comedian David Frost in Frost/Nixon, football manager Brian Clough in The Damn United and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, which he's played thrice, most notably in the Oscar-nominated drama The Queen. Yet there is more to Sheen and his prolific screen career than this prestigious, but seemingly stodgy, list of credits would imply. Sheen has proved no snob, applying his formidable talents to playing a werewolf and a vampire in the Underworld and Twilight films, respectively. It's this kind of openness and daring that has made Sheen such a compelling performer, as he tackles everything from tear-jerking dramas to his blithe, yet biting, turn as Liz Lemon's antagonistic soul mate on TV's 30 Rock. Indeed it's Sheen's very versatility that has made him such a hit with a variety of audiences around the world.