Michael Sheen - Sheen Calls For Drama Funding For U.K. Youth

MICHAEL SHEEN is encouraging the U.K. government to help fund schemes for children who dream of acting - because he owes his movie career to a drama school in his native Wales.

The Frost/Nixon star began acting as a teen with The West Glamorgan Youth Theatre, but is heartbroken that the institution can now barely afford to run the drama programme.

And the star insists there is no lack of young talent in Britain - but more money is needed to help budding actors flourish.

He says, "It is not being funded as it once was and there's no drama at my old school any more.

"I am very saddened that the way I came up and the reason I got into acting has now gone. If I were the age now that I was when I first got into theatre I simply would not be an actor because the route I took does not exist any more. There is one reason for that: funding."