Michael Sheen proves he’s actually Aziraphale with $1.3 million payoff of his hometown neighbors’ debts

Michael Sheen has played many iconic roles — from villainous vampires like Aro in the Twilight franchise to angels like Aziraphale in Good Omen. But if critics have their say, none have been more impactful than his latest role as a real-life Robin Hood in Channel 4’s documentary Michael Sheen’s Secret Million Pound Giveaway.

Let’s back up a bit. Michael Sheen moved back to his hometown of Port Talbot, Wales, after Brexit and Trump’s first term. He tried to be more politically active and address the underlying factors that led to the vote in the first place. In recent years, Sheen has been involved in volunteer work and charities across Britain. But fans had no idea that for the past two years, he had been working on his most elaborate charity project yet — paying off $1.3 million (£1 million) in debt for borrowers, mostly from Port Talbot, who had fallen on hard times and couldn’t climb out.

Sheen, ever the reliable showman, turned the entire process into a documentary. The way he canceled the debt became more of the point than the actual debt itself. In the documentary, Sheen reveals that he needed just $130,000 (£100,000) to cancel the entire £1 million in debt. He explains that when lenders struggle to recover loans, they sell them in the secondary debt market. While the debt keeps ballooning for borrowers, it actually becomes cheaper for buyers in that market. Understanding how confusing that might sound, Sheen wisely uses a trusty George Clooney cardboard cutout to break it down. Fitting, since Sheen keeps joking throughout the documentary that this is his Ocean’s heist.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the documentary is that Sheen uses his own money to write off the debt. It took two years to fully actualize his plan — two years in which Sheen, uncharacteristically, had to be secretive. He and his team worked hard to get documentation without setting off alarms. They hid that his real goal was exposing the murky world of high-interest debt. These collectors might not be as relentless as those in Mickey 17, who track you to space. But Sheen interviewed borrowers whose £500 debts had shockingly skyrocketed to £5,500. Situations like that ultimately inspired Sheen to create the documentary.

Sheen also highlights how his hometown was once a hub for steelworks like blast furnaces, but the recent economic downturn has led to factory closures. The result is a desperate populace that, at times, has no choice but to turn to loan sharks just to keep the lights on.

However, Sheen makes it very clear that he sees loans as an essential part of the economy. His main goal, he claims, is to encourage banks and big lenders not to fully lock out struggling communities. As things stand, the poorest members of society have to pay the most just to access financial support. 

This is by far one of the most impressive feats an actor has accomplished this year. This is exactly how fans expect celebrities to use their influence. No matter where you’re from, this documentary is a must-watch.