Michael Sheen Joins Celebrity Traitors Season Two
Actor Michael Sheen is among 21 celebrities competing in the second series of Celebrity Traitors, premiering October 1.
Michael Sheen is one of 21 celebrities set to compete in the second season of Celebrity Traitors. The series premieres on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on October 1 at 8pm. The 57-year-old actor from Port Talbot joins a lineup of presenters, comedians, actors, and musicians for the reality game spin-off.
Show format and setting detailed
The show is set in a Scottish castle in the Highlands. Contestants, known as faithfuls, must try to identify hidden traitors among them. These traitors eliminate players each night. The last remaining contestants can win up to £100,000 for a charity of their choice. The second series consists of 10 hour-long episodes, hosted by Claudia Winkleman.
Michael Sheen on acting as a perceived disadvantage
Sheen has reflected that his career may work against him. "Well, I do think it's a disadvantage to be an actor because people immediately go, 'oh well, he pretends for a living'," he said. He challenges that assumption, arguing that good acting requires tricking oneself into believing the performance is true. Conscious pretending, he states, is simply bad acting.
He signed up because he is a big fan of the show and was drawn to the setting, having previously filmed near the castle. He described the area as stunningly beautiful and a lovely place to be. Beyond his profession, Sheen is uncertain how his public persona will affect his game. He does not know if it will help or hinder him.
Sheen finds the game just fascinating. He believes for a show to capture the cultural imagination, it must speak to something deeper than its genre. He reflected that Traitors has that ability.
Other notable contestants and series context
Fellow actor Richard E Grant is also participating. Grant said he would love to be chosen as a Traitor because he has no control in real life. Other celebrities joining the show include TV presenter Maya Jama, comedian Miranda Hart, and actor Bella Ramsey. Comedians Joe Lycett and Romesh Ranganathan, and singer James Blunt are also competing.
Sheen's notable film roles include portraying Tony Blair in The Deal, and starring in Frost/Nixon, The Damned United, The Special Relationship, and the Twilight saga. Richard E Grant is known for films like Saltburn and Withnail And I.
The second series of Celebrity Traitors consists of 10 hour-long episodes, beginning October 1 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
