Michael Sheen has always respected his dad’s "commitment" to his work as a Jack Nicholson lookalike.
The 50-year-old actor’s father Meyrick Sheen has had a long career spanning over three decades as a lookalike thanks to his striking resemblance to the Hollywood legend, including even impersonating Jack at events he didn’t want to attend.
Michael believes his dad’s ability to impersonate Jack, 82, has influenced his skill as an actor to accurately portray real-life people in biographical dramas such as late Sir David Frost in ‘Frost/Nixon’, legendary football club manager Brian Clough in ‘The Damned United’ and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in two TV shows; ‘The Deal’ and ‘The Special Relationship’.
In an interview on ‘This Morning’, he said: "A very long time ago when I was in drama school, during the late ’80s and early ’90s, people started coming up to my dad and said, ‘You look exactly like Jack Nicholson.’ It was around the time the first ‘Batman’ movies were coming out, the Tim Burton ones where Jack Nicholson played The Joker. That eventually led him to get an agent and to work all over the world as a Jack Nicholson lookalike … My dad used to say, ‘Even better than the real thing!’ I’ve always said that what my dad lacks in specificity, makes up for him in commitment, so I think I’ve taken after him in that respect."
Host Eamonn Holmes then asked Michael if his father Meyrick had ever actually impersonated Jack at an event ‘The Shining’ star was supposed to have attended himself.
With a big grin, Michael replied: "Once he got invited to Germany to a Jack Nicholson premiere. When he got there they were like, ‘Jack is supposed to be here but he’s not so you are going to be Jack.’ He had to do radio interviews! He’s gone all over the world."
Michael – who can next be seen in Amazon Prime series ‘Good Omens’ alongside David Tennant – previously admitted his dad did struggle to speak like Jack because he has such a thick Welsh accent.
Speaking about his father’s performance at that German premiere, the ‘Nocturnal Animals’ star said: "Here’s what’s extra weird: I think he did a couple of radio interviews, which I don’t think went that well, obviously because he’s very Welsh. But he’s game, he’ll try anything once!"
Michael Sheen is proud of dad’s career as a Jack Nicholson lookalike
