Michael Sheen admits split from Kate Beckinsale made him question things about himself
Actor Michael Sheen has opened up about his separation from Kate Beckinsale, saying the issues raised by the split had him questioning ‘certain things about myself’.
The actors were together between 1995 and 2003 and share daughter Lily together.
But Sheen said the impact of travelling back and forth between the UK and the US to fit in work and seeing his child meant he keep ‘f****** up’ in interviews.
Speaking to Annie Macmanus on her podcast Changes, he said: “Going through that experience of a relationship breaking down and having a young child, and then because of my daughter and her mum living in another country, having to make a life in a new place whilst going through that whole experience, which is difficult enough.
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“I had no work visa to stay in America, so every time I left, I had to go back to Britain.
“I never knew if I would be allowed to come back in again. So I ended up having to get work in Britain because I wasn’t really getting any work in America.
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“It really made me question certain things about myself.”
Sheen, 51, said he also found the glare of the media spotlight a struggle, adding: “That was hard particularly, because when I did do interviews or things like that for whatever projects I was working on… I just kept f****** up, I’d say the wrong thing in the interview.
“It took me a long time to learn. If there’s the chance of you f****** up, just don’t talk about it. And of course, people are going to want to try and get you to talk about stuff because that’s how they make their career.”
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Despite splitting, the pair have remained close and Beckinsale has spoke previously of her love for Sheen.
She told the Evening Standard in 2016: “We split up ages ago. We have been not together far longer than we were ever together. But I really love him and like him and we make each other roar with laughter.”
Changes With Annie Macmanus is available weekly on all podcast providers.
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