Michael Sheen of David Frost in 2008's "Frost/Nixon", a film dramatisation of The Nixon Interviews of 1977. Despite appearing in the original stage production in a part written for him by Peter Morgan, Sheen was surprised to have been cast in the film: "Peter said he'd only be prepared to give the rights to someone who would cast me as Frost, which was very nice, but when the studios get their hands on something... Right up until we started filming I was prepared to be disappointed". Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" asserted that Sheen embodied his character in a "compelling, intense"
Michael Sheen Inspector". "The Times" wrote of "a scathingly brilliant and inventive performance" while "Variety" noted that the actor "adds comic finesse to his apparently ceaseless repertoire". "The Evening Standard", while conceding that the performance was "technically brilliant", expressed bemusement as to why "one of the most mercurial and inspiring actors we have seems set on impersonating Rik Mayall throughout". Also that year, he took part in the Old Vic's "24 Hour Play", in which "The Telegraph" felt he "dazzled". In 2005 film work, Sheen starred in "Dead Long Enough", a small-budget Welsh/Irish film, with his longtime friend, Jason Hughes. In addition,