Michael Sheen quits acting: His five defining roles

From Tony Blair to Brian Clough

Michael Sheen has announced that he's to quit acting in favour of becoming a full-time activist.

His decision was inspired by the disturbing rise of far-right populism and will see him uproot his life in Los Angeles to combat the wave of "demagogic, fascistic" politics he believes has engulfed the West over the past decade.

Below we take a look at the Welsh stage and screen actor's most memorable film and TVroles.

The Deal (2003)

Sheen's breakthrough role saw him play British PM Tony Blair in this Channel 4 film from writer Peter Morgan. Directed by Stephen Frears, the film saw Sheen turn to an unlikely source for inspiration - Will Smith - due to his skilful performance of Muhammad Ali in biopic Ali.

The Queen (2006)

Sheen reunited with Morgan and Frears to reprise the role of Blair in Oscar-winning drama The Queen.

Frost/Nixon (2008)

Another real-life character Sheen tackled was broadcaster David Frost in Frost/Nixon, a film (written by - you guessed it - Peter Morgan) dramatising the interviews the former conducted with Richard Nixon in 1977.

The Damned United (2009)

The fifth collaboration between Sheen and writer Morgan saw him play football manager Brian Clough in a role that solidified him as the quintessential go-to actor for British icons.

Masters of Sex (2013-16)

The actor was lured to the world of US TV with Masters of Sex, a period series co-starring Lizzy Caplan that chronicled the lives of sexuality pioneers Masters and Johnson.