#a group of the two of us

[beerok23]

D: And then he came to offer you the part in Good Omens? M: Yeah, well, we became friends and we would, you know, whenever he was in town, we would meet up. And then eventually he started. He said, you know, I'm working on an adaptation of Good Omens. I remember at one point Terry Gilliam was going to maybe make a film of it. And I remember being there with Neil and Terry when they were talking about it. D: Were you involved at that point? M: No, I wasn't involved. I just happened to have met up with Neil that day. D: Right.

M: And then Terry Gilliam came along and that was the day they were talking about that or whatever. And then eventually he sent me one of the scripts for an early draft of, like, the first episode of Good Omens. And he said, we started talking about me being involved in doing it. He said, 'Would you be interested?' I was like, 'Yeah, of course I would. Oh, my God.' And he said, 'Well, I'll send you the scripts when they come.' And I would read them and we talk about them a little bit. So I sort of was involved. But it was always at that point with the idea, because he'd always said about playing Crowley in it. And as time went on, as I was reading the scripts, I was thinking, I don't think I can play Crowley. I don't think I'm going to be able to do. And I started to get a bit nervous because I thought, 'I don't want to tell Neil that I don't think I can do this'. But I just felt like, I don't think I can play Crowley. D: Of course you could play Crowley. M: Well, just on a sort of - on a gut level, you know, sometimes you have on a gut level, you go - D: Sure, sure. M: I can do this. D: Yeah. M: Or I can't do this. M: And I just thought, you know what? This is not the part for me. The other part is better for me. I think. I think I can do that. I don't think I could do that. But I was scared to tell Neil because I thought, well, he wants me to play Crowley. And then it turned out he had been feeling the same way as well, and he hadn't wanted to mention it to me. But he was like, 'I think Michael should really play Aziraphale'. And neither of us would bring it up. And then eventually we did. And it was one of those things where you go, 'Oh, thank God you said that. Oh, I feel exactly the same way'. D: Yeah. M: And then I think within a fairly short space of time, he said, 'I think we've got David Tennant for Crowley.' D: *Chuckles* M: And we both got very excited about that. And then all these extraordinary people started to joining up. And then off we went. D: The other thing about Neil, he collects people, doesn't he? So he'll just go, oh, yeah, I phoned up Francis McDormand. She's up for it. Yeah. And you're 'What-Wait-What?' M: I emailed John Hamm. D: Yeah. M: And you realize how beloved he is and how beloved his work is. And I think we would both recognize that Good Omens is one of the most beloved of all of Neil's stuff. D: Yes. M: And had never been turned into anything. D: Yeah. M: And so the kind of responsibility of that, I mean, for me, for someone who has been a fan of him and a fan of the book for so long, I can empathize with all the fans out there who are like, oh, they better not fuck this up and this better be good. And I have that part of me, but then, of course, the other part of me is like, but I'm the one who might be fucking it up. So I feel that responsibility as well.

D: But we have Neil on site. M: Yes. Well, Neil being the showrunner - D: Yeah. M: I think it takes a massive difference. You feel like you're in safe hands. D: Well, we think. Not that the world has seen it yet. M: No, I know. D: But it's been a joy to work with you on it. M: Oh, my goodness. D: I can't wait for the world to see it. M: Well, I mean, I've done a few things where there are two people. It's a bit of a double act, like Frost-Nixon some more, and The Queen, I suppose in some ways, and I've done - Amadeus or whatever. This is the only thing I've done where I really don't think of it as my character or my performance as that character. I think of it totally as us, the two of us. D: Yes! M: What I do is defined by what you do. That was such a joy to have that experience. And it made it so much easier in a way as well, I found, because you don't feel like you're on your own in it. Like it's totally us together doing this. And the two characters totally complement each other. And the experience of doing it was just a real joy. D: Well, I hope the world is as excited to see it as we are to talk about it, frankly.

M: You know. Having talked about T. S. Elliott earlier, there's another bit from The Waste Land where there's a line which goes, "These fragments I have shored against my ruin". And this is how I think about life now. There is so much in life, no matter what your circumstances, no matter where you've got, what you've done, how much money you got, all that. Life's hard. It can take you down at any point. You have to find this stuff. You have to find things that will. These fragments that you hold yourself, they become like a life raft. And especially as time goes on. I think as I've got older, I've realized it is a thin line between being surviving this life and going under and the things that keep you afloat are these fragments, these things that are meaningful to you. And what's meaningful to you will be not meaningful to someone else. But whatever it is that matters to you, it doesn't matter what it was you were into when you were a teenager, a kid. Doesn't matter what it is. Go and find them and find some way to hold them close to you. Make it go and get it. Because those are the things that keep you afloat. They really are, like doing that with him or whatever it is. These are the fragments that have shored against my ruin. Absolutely. D: That's lovely. Michael, thank you so much. M: Thank you. D: For talking today and for being here. M: It's a pleasure. D: Thank you.

This podcast is so underrated. I heard it tonight for the first time, and it blew my mind. The episode was published back in April 2019 (recorded after a photoshoot for Good Omens season 1). Listen to these babies, starting to knowing and respecting each other *_* Of course, Michael Sheen was probably the greatest fan of Neil and Good Omens out there, but the joy and the excitement was already there to feel, from both of them!

And Michael saying "The Two of Us" 4 years before July 2023... My heart - just - can't.

[ingravinoveritas]

ineffablymischievousscamp replied to your post “Oh my God, Michael…”

@ingravinoveritas Exactly! His heart never quiets I'm sure, burning with a love for this world they've created. Good Omens has given him just as much, if not more, to make him a bit dewy eyed today too.

@ineffablymischievousscamp Oh, absolutely. I really love that today, of all days, was what got Michael out of Twitter retirement, and that this in particular was something that meant enough to him to comment on it. Your last few words also made me remember Michael's tweet from 2019 where he talked about being dewy-eyed as he filmed his last scene as Aziraphale in GO season 1...

And I think what you've said is exactly right: That Michael's heart never quiets, that it always beats with so much love for Aziraphale and Good Omens and everything that the show and especially the relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley means to him. That on some level, he never has stopped being Aziraphale, even long after filming has ended. (Which seems to fit perfectly with Michael saying on several occasions that he doesn't know where Aziraphale ends and he begins.)

A lot of us today are talking about what Good Omens has given us, but as you mentioned, what GO has given Michael is likely even beyond description. We've heard both him and David say that it's changed their lives, and whether in public or private, I think that both of them are acknowledging the depth of that today, to each other and to the world...

[stillsurfacequietpond]

Smitten

[xdestinykey]

Ineffable May Day #30- ✨🗡️ Us 🐍✨

[leoreadss]

Nothing to see, just Crowley standing on the side of the romance

[inconveniently-discorporated]

Me: My water just has a couple lemon slices.

My child: No, you put TWO of them in there.

Me: Yeah. That's what couple means. It means... a... a group. a group of the two of them. 🥲

[unicornbeck]

Crowley tells Aziraphale, “I could always rely on you. You could always rely on me.” But we’ve already seen that’s not immediately true. When Aziraphale asks (or even hints) for things, Crowley makes them happen. Rescues, removal of stains, wine, food… When they fight, it’s always been Crowley who has caved and returned. Look at 1941 after their fight in 1862. He’s obviously been keeping watch from afar, swooping in when the danger blooms. Look at how quickly he flies back (same day) to do his humiliating little apology dance as soon as Extreme Sanctions are on the table. Aziraphale really has always been able to rely on Crowley.

I guess Crowley feels that way because even though it took a hundred years, Aziraphale did eventually get him the holy water. (That’s a hundred years where Crowley had a need and his angel refused, but I suppose it’s not that long to them, and I suppose since nothing too terrible happened during that interval, Crowley holds no grudge.) I do think Crowley means it—he’s always been able to rely on his angel’s good heart. But Aziraphale’s long hesitation could well have been Crowley’s end. Even after fights, they always come around— but Aziraphale’s always been so much slower to do so. I guess it feels unequal to me because Crowley’s “just-in-time”s happen so much faster. I think I feel resentful about it because he’s so blown away by it when Aziraphale actually comes through for him in 1967.

[ineffableaddiction]

We could have been… us.

And we are.

And we’re also you. And me.

That’s why I adore you.

That’s why my heart is breaking.

[kikis-worksh0p]

2024 begin with a new drawing !! I'm so happy I finally finished it ☺️💖🎉

"Alpha Centauri"

20-25 hours of work, almost went crazy because of the DOTS OH MY GOD THE DOTS 😱😭

[stylesgotthesun]

Just realized how crowley actually tried to get away with aziraphale so early on in the first season when they were talking at the bandstand and it was literally a mirrored speech of the final conversation they have in s2, just less obvious. Still, crowley asks aziraphale to go away with him and just be together as they've been friends for 6000 years and aziraphale only says they are not friends and that they are on opposite sides and he doesn't even like him but crowley says "yes you do" like??? Hurts so much they were literally married in s2 but still nothing changed at crowley's proposal

[rainbowpopeworld]

gif from @tardxsblues

From the same video that’s on Amazon’s X-ray feature

🥺😭

[ineffable-baker-street]

people need to stop reminding me of "you could always rely on me. i could always rely on you. we're a team, a group, a group of the two of us" because i cant handle it anymore

[brainwormcity]

Oh, Crowley.

[stillsurfacequietpond]

Four times when Aziraphale is not very honest with Crowley...

And one time when he is

[eraserhappy]

I did two versions. I wasn’t sold on the darker hair or position of the snake tattoo. I couldn’t leave the Aziraphale all by himself. So yeah, last drawing for 2023! Happy New Year Tumblr fam!! You all have been a whomever send and I love being on this website with all of you🖤

[leoreadss]

I had to. Just arrived. I can breathe.

I’ll cry every time I’ll have to pay something but ‘sounds legit to me.’