LEADING actor Michael Sheen has joked that he was forced to appear in an upcoming BBC show because his co-star David Tennant “has a lot of dirt” on him. The 51-year-old Welsh star, who’s famed for appearing in a host of big-name biopic TV shows and movies, will star in short comedy Staged. Sheen and […]
LEADING actor Michael Sheen has joked that he was forced to appear in an upcoming BBC show because his co-star David Tennant “has a lot of dirt” on him.
The 51-year-old Welsh star, who’s famed for appearing in a host of big-name biopic TV shows and movies, will star in short comedy Staged.
Sheen and David Tennant, 49, will play two actors whose West End play has been put on hold due to Covid-19, but whose director has persuaded them to carry on rehearsing online.
The first two of six episodes are screened on BBC One tonight at 10.45pm and 11pm.
Talking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning via video link about how Staged came about, Sheen said: “Well David Tennant has a lot of dirt on me so he forced me into joining him in doing this.
“He essentially said the director and producer of Staged came to him with the idea and said, ‘Can you call Michael and see if he’ll be in it as well?’
“It’s a bit like the show because that’s what happens in the show. It’s essentially art imitating life.”
Staged will see Sheen and Tennant play exaggerated versions of themselves who, in the midst of the lockdown, attempt to rehearse a play together via Zoom.
Tennant’s wife Georgia Tennant also stars, alongside Lucy Eaton and Anna Lundberg with more guest actors to be announced in the coming weeks.
Director of BBC Content Charlotte Moore said of Staged: “It’s so important that the BBC provides moments of humour and light relief and this mischievous idea shows what great sports Michael and David are.”
Staged adheres to the latest government coronavirus guidelines with filming following social distancing rules by using self-shooting and video conferencing technology.
In the series, Tennant is portrayed as the more affable of the two, while Sheen has to be coaxed and flattered before committing to remote rehearsals.
Staged starts tonight (Wednesday June 10) at 10.45pm and 11pm.
