There is a French show called Les Rencontres du Papotin, in which neurodivergent journalists and citizen-journalists ask celebrities and public figures questions in a group. Emmanuel Macron did the show and I remember he received high marks not only for appearing on the show, but treating the neurodivergent journalists with respect and humanity. Well, someone in the UK thought to adapt the show for a British audience. They’re calling it The Assembly and Michael Sheen is the first guest, and I hope he’s the first of many. He participated in the show for Britain’s Autism Acceptance Week. Some of his answers have already made headlines, but the biggest headline is probably that Michael Sheen is a real mensch and he was completely lovely to everyone. From The Guardian and the Mail’s coverage:
First question: “Was John Taylor from Duran Duran your first ever crush?” Answer: “I thought he was the most beautiful person I’d ever seen, man or woman. His hair was like a miracle.” And so begins The Assembly, in which 35 autistic, neurodivergent and learning disabled people quiz one Michael Sheen, the award-winning Welsh actor. I think we can safely assume in more than three decades of interviews that Sheen has never been asked whether he knows “anything about the long-term celebrity Tom Jones?” It’s a question that leads to an anecdote about Sheen bonding with the Welsh singer’s sister over a broken toe in hospital in LA.
Sheen clearly enjoys getting a grilling and is a kind, empathic presence with an unbreakable grin, even when asked what it feels like to be dating someone only five years older than his daughter. Ouch. I’ve learned all sorts of things about Sheen that I didn’t know I wanted to know. His favourite Disney film is Moana. His favourite food is egg and chips. He cries every day. His house in Wales is prone to bats flying in and sleeping in the folds of the curtains. His greatest fear is being alone. He can beatbox the Dynasty theme tune. And he’s happy to walk people through the before, during and after of his passionate kiss with David Tennant in Good Omens. All the while, the assembled group shouts out impromptu encouragement (“Michael! You’re doing fabulous!”), a bit of extra info (“By the way, my mum likes you!”), or a song, Here Comes the Sun, which makes Sheen cry.
One interviewer asked Mr Sheen if he could replace two members of the Royal family who would he replace and with who. To which he replied: ‘I’d get rid of Andrew and replace him with Joe Lycett and maybe bring David Attenborough instead of Camilla. And I’d make Tom Jones the Prince of Wales.’
Another interviewer, named Efan, asked Mr Sheen why he decided to give back his OBE. The award winning actor received his OBE in 2009 for service to drama before handing it back in 2017. Mr Sheen said: ‘I was given the OBE which is a great honour. But a few years later I was asked if I would do something called the Raymond Williams Lecture – a history of Wales. As I was researching for that I realised that if I was to give this lecture and say the things I was discovering I would be very hypocritical to have something calling me an Officer of the British Empire.’
He added that he has no problem with the honour system but felt he couldn’t give the lecture without handing back his OBE. Efan then asked a follow-up question about what Mr Sheen’s opinion was of the Royals in general. Mr Sheen paused for a second before he said: ‘I was a huge fan of the Queen. I think as individuals there are a few ‘wrong uns’ and clearly there is a problem. I have a bit of a problem with people accumulating so much wealth when we have people sleeping on the street.’
Mr Sheen has been vocal in the past about his opposition to the title of Prince of Wales which he brought up during his answer. He said: ‘Personally, with the particular title of the Prince and Princess of Wales, there is a history with that title that is problematic.’
[From The Guardian & The Daily Mail]
I love all of this – Sheen didn’t even rant about the royals, he just answered those questions with as much humor and honesty as he could. Sheen is getting rave reviews across the board and now people are clammoring for more episodes of The Assembly. I hope it happens! I would also love to see America do a version of this too, it would absolutely work and I’m already thinking about a list of American celebrities and politicians who would do really well in this kind of setting.
I think #TheAssembly on @BBCOne might be the best innovation in interviewing since Desert Island Discs. A group of 35 neurodivergent or learning disabled people get to ask a celebrity anything they want. Michael Sheen is a brave man. pic.twitter.com/p1B0G7qcUI
— Simon Lucas (@slucastweets) April 6, 2024
Full clip #TheAssembly pic.twitter.com/kZCJM7dZ9w
— Imogen (@Imogell) April 5, 2024
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.