Hollywood actor Michael Sheen, renowned for his roles in productions such as Amadeus, Twilight, and A Very Royal Scandal, has taken significant action by settling the debts of 900 individuals, amounting to $1 million. This initiative was aimed at assisting residents in his hometown of Port Talbot, South Wales.
The community faced considerable hardship following the closure of Tata Steel’s last operational blast furnace in September of the previous year. This decision, part of a restructuring strategy at the UK’s largest steelworks, was met with controversy due to the anticipated loss of 2,800 jobs.
According to reports, Sheen established a debt acquisition company to aid these 900 individuals in South Wales. His philanthropic efforts are featured in an upcoming Channel 4 program titled Michael Sheen’s Secret Million Pound Giveaway, which is scheduled to premiere next week. The show aims to highlight how certain banks and financial institutions benefit from the struggles of society’s most vulnerable members.
Sheen disclosed that he remains unaware of the identities of the individuals whose debts he has cleared, knowing only their locations and the nature of their debts. He stated, “I would never know who they are, I still don’t know who they are.” The actor explained that he was able to create a debt acquisition company using £100,000 of his own money to purchase £1 million in debt. Although he initially had “no idea” how the “bizarre” system functioned, “it seemed like a good thing to do.”
During his appearance on the One Show on Tuesday, Sheen elaborated on the mechanics of the debt system. He described how individual debts are aggregated into bundles, which are subsequently acquired by debt-buying firms at a discounted rate. While the original borrowers remain responsible for the full amount, the companies that purchase these debts can continue to resell them at progressively lower prices.
He additionally revealed that there was a moment when he nearly abandoned his efforts to establish the company. However, his perspective shifted after filming in a café located in his hometown of Port Talbot, where the local steelworks (Tata Steel) were on the verge of closure. Reflecting on this poignant experience, he recounted, “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 scheduled to premiere on Monday, March 10, just a few months following the closure of the last remaining blast furnace in Port Talbot, marking the end of traditional steelmaking in South Wales. The actor encouraged individuals to review their bank accounts to determine if they are among the 900 people whose debts have been forgiven.
