01x03 - Who the F#!k Is Michael Sheen?

[bunniefuu]

- I think I'm losing my authority.

- MICHAEL: You have authority?

I thought I did, but the kids are

starting to answer me back.

Oh, it's a slippery slope.

- Days away from mutiny.

- You wouldn't stand a chance.

There are a lot more of

them than there are of you.

Yeah.

- How many have you got now?

- Ah, can't quite remember.

There's a couple I feel like

I haven't seen for weeks.

Did your parents punish you

for swearing?

- Only if they caught me.

- What would've happened?

- Depended on the severity.

- Like if it was at the low end.

My mother made me drink soapy water.

I don't think my kids would go for it.

It's not supposed to be voluntary.

- Are you sure that's not you on that mug?

- No!

- It looks like you.

- No.

- What happened?

- One of them swore at me.

- What did he say?

- She.

- What did she say?

- You know

- How old is she?

- Four.

- Does she know what that means.

- No, I don't think so.

- She just picked it up somewhere.

- From where?

Our eldest would be prime suspect.

When I was a kid, my dad, if we lied,

would make us stand in the corner

for half an hour.

- Did it stop you lying?

- For half an hour, yeah.

What happened with your neighbour?

- She brought the bottles back.

- Did she?

- Yeah.

- What did you do?

I denied it.

I told her she must be mistaken.

I said, "I'm happy to put them

outside my house for now

"but I will not cover for you again."

You lied. I think you should stand

in the corner for half an hour.

All right.

David knows some of this.

Erm, before we cast you, Michael,

we were talking to somebody else,

he's kind of a big deal and has always

wanted to do a play in London.

I was running quite high

after k*ller Joe.

In fact it was my

idea to take it to David.

And they got it to me.

Yeah, we got it to David

and David said

- I said yes, yes.

- So we were all ready to announce,

then this actor got offered a film

so he had to drop out of the project.

We couldn't postpone, so we had to

We chose to find somebody else,

and David suggested you.

Of course I did.

And that film that he went

to do has been cancelled

because of all of this,

and he has been phoning me a lot

because he'd like to be involved again.

Well, thank you for suggesting me,

David.

Well, not just a suggestion,

it was a strong recommendation.

I was unaware that you'd been

submitting me for roles

- over the years.

- Advocating.

Did you get a nice bit

of commission on that?

I just really wanted to do it with you.

Yeah, he did, really.

I was really thrilled when you said yes.

Yeah, we both were, ecstatic.

- I don't like you, Simon.

- No.

I find you weaselly.

I understand.

Who is it?

- I'd rather not say.

- Does he know about me?

No, not yet.

And how exactly have you

told this someone else no?

I haven't.

The reason being?

- He scares me.

- He scares you?

I mean, he is quite an

intimidating personality.

I can be intimidating.

I know, yeah, yeah.

I'm feeling a very strong

urge to be intimidating.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, just resist it, OK?

Please, please.

Listen, I'm going

to suggest I just call him up

and we just have a conversation,

actor to actor,

I just tell him it's done,

he had his chance

but we have Michael now

and we are over the moon.

Don't you feel that we should have

we deserve a director who is

brave enough to have difficult

conversations like that?

Well

HE CLEARS HIS THROA

We are where we are, aren't we? So

These are exceptional times.

I think we have to allow

our individual exceptionalism

to catch up with the moment, yeah?

Do you know how you get

people to trust you, Simon?

- Honesty.

- Yeah, I

PHONE BLEEPS

And if you can't be honest,

just don't get caught, yeah?

Oh, hi, Lucy.

Hi.

- David is going to phone Sam.

- Oh, right.

I'm not doing very good at this.

PHONE RINGS

David.

- I can't see your face.

- Yeah, yeah, that's a choice.

I hate these f*cking things.

- What, video calls?

- Yeah.

Everybody was happy with a f*cking

phone call before all this sh*t,

now suddenly they feel this need

to share a f*cking close-up with me.

Right.

Erm, can we talk about Six

Characters In Search Of An Author?

You know, I've been trying to get

Simon on the f*cking phone for days.

That m*therf*cker's not picking up.

He's a c*ck.

Erm, what happened to your movie?

- Unofficially?

- Sure. Unofficially.

The script was a mess.

Then the director starts f*cking

the co-star. Her husband finds out.

Husband stomps his a*s out.

He's in the hospital.

That b*tch goes to rehab

and we lost half our locations.

What about officially?

Officially they are

saying global pandemic.

Sure. Well, silver lining, erm,

by the sound of it. Are you still in LA?

Yeah, for now.

- But I'm bored as sh*t.

- Right.

I've been trying to get hold of this

g*dd*mn Simon on his f*cking phone,

it's like I tell you,

he is not g*dd*mn picking up.

I know. He said you'd called.

What?!

- You talked to that m*therf*cker?

- Voicemails is all that

Ah

Look, OK

All right, you know, f*ck it.

I say we use the time

to work on the play.

I get that it's strange,

but we'll have something

while everybody else

is running round with

their dicks in their hands, right?

- Right, yeah.

- So what do you think?

What do I think?

- Erm, oh, what do I think?

- Yeah.

I think

I think you're too late,

because I think what happened is,

you left the production

and us in real trouble.

You know, I get why you did that,

I understand completely,

I'd probably have done

the same thing myself,

but we were left to pick up

the pieces, and we did that by

going out and getting someone else.

So I wish you well, but we've moved on.

Look, David

Yep?

Erm You froze, so everything

after "I think" I didn't get.

So could you, like, run through

all that sh*t again, please?

Erm, right.

I was just saying I think, um

I think

- Erm

- What? You think what?

I think that Jo won't allow it.

What the f*ck is his problem?

I don't even know this f*cking Joe.

Why would that m*therf*cker

be mad with me?

Well, because you left

the production, she was

She? It's a she?

- Yeah.

- It's a woman named Jo?

- Yeah.

- Like Joanne, or Josephine?

- Um

- Or is it just f*cking plain old Jo?

I have no idea.

You know her, I don't

even know who the f*ck she is

- and she's pissed off with me.

- I just know her as Jo.

I'll talk to my assistant

and I'll call her.

Well, I wouldn't, because she

doesn't like you very much now.

She doesn't want you to derail

the show, so she went straight out

and she hired another actor.

- Who?

- Michael Sheen.

Who the f*ck is Michael Sheen?

Some Welsh British, erm

You'll know him.

He was in G-Good Omens, we were

Erm

Frost/Nixon?

Passengers? Twilight?

Any of these movies

make any g*dd*mn money?

I

Do you want to do this with him?

Of course I don't, I worked with him

once. I want to do this with you.

I'm not, you know

But here we are, we're stuck.

- And and Jo won't let us change.

- Tell you what.

I'll call Jo.

I wouldn't. She's not easy

to talk to, and you'll

She's angry, I'd let her cool down.

In the fullness of time,

when the dust is settled,

you and me will move on and we'll

do something else, something better.

- Sorry.

- Don't worry.

- Got to keep a bit quiet. Nap time.

- No, I get it. Is she down yet?

No, not Lyra, Michael.

- Michael has a nap time?

- He was a little angry earlier.

Yeah. I heard.

So

He let off some steam in the garden

and he sat down in the sun with

his script. Then he fell asleep.

Yeah, David does that.

Then he just pretends that

he was awake the whole time.

Michael's strangely proud of it.

Claims he can sleep anywhere.

Well, it's nice to have a hobby,

isn't it?

Mm. How are you all doing?

Oh, yeah, fine, fine.

Yeah, there are seven of us so

- How are you?

- We are fine.

I mean, Lyra is pretty

low maintenance so

WAILING AND YAWNING

- So, things could be worse.

- Hm.

So a friend of mine

is pregnant and alone.

Father not around?

- No, couldn't get away from his wife.

- Oh.

She's asked me to be

her birthing partner.

Is that allowed?

I don't know how I feel

about leaving David on his own.

- Yeah, how's he doing?

- Good days and bad days.

I suppose I thought these

rehearsals would help

but it seems like more

of a hindrance so far.

Just talking to Georgia.

- Did you tell her I fell asleep?

- I did.

- Well done, Michael.

- Thank you!

David's actually started writing.

That may give him a bit of a focus,

you know.

- How's your novel?

- Oh, I, erm

I've actually sold it.

- You what?

- What?

Georgia sold her novel.

Ohhhhhh!

- That's fantastic.

- Thanks. Thanks.

It's actually just happened,

David doesn't know yet so

Oh! Mum's the word.

- It's all fine.

- Really?

Yeah, really. It's done, it's fine.

What did you say to him?

I just stood up to him.

I just told him, you know,

that he'd had his shot.

I told him

we've got a superior actor now

and that you weren't

going anywhere, so

- How did he take that?

- I mean,

nobody likes getting bad news, do they?

I wouldn't know.

- Of course not.

- But you stood your ground?

I did, I did.

Chanelled Henry V.

When the blast of w*r blows in our ears,

we imitate the actions of the tiger.

You said that to him?

- Not out loud, no.

- No, of course not.

- Have you ever played Henry V?

- I have not, no. Have you?

For the RSC.

Of course you did. Yes. No,

I gave the RSC my Richard II.

I saw it.

I don't know that

I would trust Richard II

in a formal negotiation setting, though.

- I don't know, he's impassioned.

- That's true.

- He's eloquent.

- Undeniably.

Very snappy dresser.

So history would have us believe,

but not perhaps the right

temperamental fit for

the artistic b*ttlefield.

Perhaps not, no.

What I'm saying is, I think

you channelled the right

Shakespearean monarch.

Well, thank you very much. Yes.

I really should let

Simon know, shouldn't I?

He'll be delighted.

Have you got a window this

afternoon for some rehearsals?

- I'm afraid not, no, I've errands.

- Groceries?

- Library.

- Really? Picking up or dropping off?

Dropping off, erm, for my neighbour.

- I thought that was all dealt with.

- I thought so too.

You denied it, you lied

to a poor little old lady.

There there is nothing poor

or little about

- I'm beginning to doubt she's even old.

- Ohhh. She rumbled you.

She has a CCTV camera on her garage.

She was kind enough to e-mail me

a short little video clip.

What, of you with armfuls of bottles,

shoving them in her bin?

So now I do her chores.

You're being blackmailed

by a wee little old lady.

Blackmail is a very strong word.

Listen, it'll be lovely for everyone

to see you out and about.

Lovely for the community.

Local celebrity, Michael Sheen,

visits the library.

Yeah, not returning books like

Passion On The Plantation.

The Smell Of The Poacher.

Ivory On Ebony.

There's a sort of theme, isn't there?

Michael, do you know how

to get people to trust you?

Oh, piss off.

- You said not to speak to Jo.

- Yeah.

Well, I spoke to Jo.

Why did you do that?

- Because you told me she was furious.

- She was.

- Well, she seemed fine.

- She's quick to forgive.

- Did you lie to me?

- No.

Do you want to do

this play with Michael?

No.

So tell me again.

I want to do it with you,

that was the plan,

that was always the plan,

I'm excited about the plan.

Michael's fine. I mean, he's

He's We get on fine.

- He's all right but he's not you.

- How so?

He's overbearing, he drinks too much.

He thinks that Henry V

is better than Richard II.

I've worked with him once,

I'd do anything not to do it again,

but we're in it now,

it's too late, you know.

I know you're upset. Spare a thought

for me, I'm stuck with him.

But if the situation was different?

Yeah. Well, obviously, seriously,

of course I would want to do this

with you, in a heartbeat.

Hello, David.

- All right, Michael?

- Yeah.

- Back from the library?

- I am, yeah.

All the books safe?

No major issues.

I just wanted to give Michael

a call, you know, clear the air.

Yeah, that was good of you.

Yeah, we had lots to talk about.

GROWLING

LINE CUTS OU

- Has he gone?

- Yeah, that m*therf*cker is ghost.

Probably tucked his tail

between his legs,

and ran on his spineless spindly a*s

down the street like a wounded dog.

Yeah, well, give him a second.

PHONE VIBRATES

Is that him?

It is, yeah.

Ohhh.

Been nice to meet you. Big fan.

Ah, thank you.

Yeah. Strange circumstances,

I can't believe our paths

have never crossed before.

Yeah, erm, we have actually

done a movie together.

Really? What was

You were, like, a young actor

and you were, like, doing

background, or something?

I had a bag over my head for some

Well, for most of it.

A bag over your head?

You were torturing

me all the way through.

Oh, get the f*ck out of here,

that was you?!

- Yeah.

- You were in that film?

- Yeah.

- Come on, man.

That was a great f*cking movie.

You were awesome in it.

Hey, remember the night that

Obama won his first presidency?

- Yeah.

- We were torturing the f*ck out of you.

- Right?

- Yeah I mean

That was

PHONE VIBRATES

- You need to get that?

- Yeah. Erm

David

- Listen, I know that that was cowardly.

- And you were caught.

- And, yeah, I was caught.

- Lying.

Well, it's the day for it, isn't it?

So where do we go from here, then?

Obviously, I want to do this play

with you, but Sam has an ego

like a f*cking tour bus.

I had to manage that.

And I managed it badly

and I got caught, OK.

But I want to do this with you, you

have passion, you have integrity.

Sam has a mansion in the Hollywood

Hills and f*cking zero imagination.

I would do anything

not to do it with him.

David?

I should've seen that coming,

shouldn't I?

Yes, m*therf*cker, you should have.

What the f*ck's wrong with you?

Sorry.

You know how you

get people to trust you?

Is it honesty?

Grow a brain and a pair of ba*ls.

f*ck you, David.

Goodbye.

Oh, nice talking to you, Michael.

PHONE BUZZES

That's half an hour.

Shall I do it again?

The credits will be Michael Sheen

and that f*cking liar David Tennant.

Yeah, seems fair.