‘Masters of Sex’ Michael Sheen Reveals His Thoughts About Show’s Topic [Watch]
What has been so unique about the Showtime drama "Masters of Sex" is the complexity and degree of persistence the character of Bill Masters has gone through to accomplish his research, according to The Wrap.
The show is based off the real Bill Masters, who was a sex researcher in the '60s and some have even credited him with starting the sexual revolution of that era. But his real agenda, as brilliantly portrayed in the show by Michael Sheen, was to better understand the complex pathologies of human intimacy.
Sheen is considered to have given an Emmy-worthy performance and before his consideration, he sat down with The Wrap for an interview.
He was first asked if he was sensitive to the subject of sex pathology and psychology, a taboo topic now, but much more so in the '60s.
"It's the psychology of intimacy and vulnerability. What drew me to the character is how damaged he is, how damaged he was by his parents, his father," Sheen told The Wrap. "Every adult has to at some point attempt to confront what has affected how they perceive the world, in order to have any relationship of real value. It's exciting to explore someone who is soul-damaged, soul-warped, and to explore that through a relationship."
What he is referring to is the unique way that Masters, having come from a background of abuse by his father, has been drawn to research these pathologies of sex. But in regards to Masters being a revered character on the show, the lines can get a little grayed.
"I wanted to tackle head-on what it is like to develop a personality around a kernel of horrible abuse. You're not often asked to have to go on journey with a main character -- who you should see as a hero -- to like that character," Sheen said. "Part of the big picture is hopefully you watch a man changing. Hopefully he's finding a way out of that prison that he finds himself in."
Sheen is referring to his character becoming a somewhat unlikable person, given his persistence to achieve a successful result of the study by any means necessary.
The titular topic is seen through a different lens though, as he and co-star Lizzy Caplan have committed to making sure there are no blurred lines on the publicly tabooed topic.
"Often when it comes to sex scenes, it can be gray area, people feel uncomfortable talking about it directly. Early on, we were very clear that there couldn't be any gray areas, that we were going to be doing that so much that everything had to be talked through beforehand."
See the official trailer for Season 3 below, which starts on Showtime on July 12 at 10 p.m. EDT.
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