(Photo: Getty Images)
Michael Sheen has built a reputation for playing real-life figures including Tony Blair, David Frost and Kenneth Williams. Now he's preparing to portray formidable British barrister David Sherborne in Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama.
Announced by British network Channel 4, it's a two-part dramatization of the so-called "Wagatha Christie" libel trial. "WAG" is an acronym often given to the "Wives and Girlfriends" of professional soccer players, and the trial involved two very high-profile members of this group.
In the two-part miniseries, Game of Thrones actress Natalia Tena will play Rebekah Vardy, wife of soccer star Jamie Vardy. This Is England actress Chanel Cresswell will co-star as Colleen Rooney, wife of soccer star Wayne Rooney, who was dubbed "Wagatha Christie" because of her apparent powers of deduction. 
After Rooney accused Vardy of leaking content from her private Instagram account to the British tabloid press, Vardy sued her fellow "WAG" for libel. Sherborne – whom Sheen is portraying – represented Rooney during a High Court trial that was covered extensively in the U.K. media. Vardy's lawyer Hugh Tomlinson will be played in the dramatization by Simon Coury (The Professor and the Madman).
Channel 4 has also released a photo of the four main actors in character. 

(Photo: Channel 4)
Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama is due to premiere on Channel 4 later this year, which gives you plenty of time to brush up on the facts of the case, if you feel so inclined.
Do you like the sound of Michael Sheen's latest real-life role?