Crying Lovers / Heartwrenching tears from Michael Sheen on 'Masters of Sex'

**Posted by PhoebeOnThePhone** July 5, 2020 8:40 am

I thought somebody had posted the link somewhere but there's no sign of it now. Y'all. Michael Sheen is an amazing crier!
In this episode his wife has suffered a late-term miscarriage, and he had to deliver it, all while secretly having deeply mixed feelings and misgivings about becoming a father. At the end of the episode he tries to throw himself into work, but Lizzy Caplan sees through his bullshit. She tries to comfort him, and he breaks down.
Always great to see buttoned-up personalities cry, and there's something special when you can tell a man knows he's going to cry, and tries to hold on just a few more seconds.
I think it's interesting and sad and sweet that he knows he's just about to cry and that she'll definitely hear him crying, and he begs her, voice already trembling with a suppressed sob, to close her eyes. Love how she holds his hand even as he looks away hiding his face from her.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16SHC5XYOA0dBIUQfnJDwDLF52Q9clStL/view?usp=sharing

Last edited by PhoebeOnThePhone (July 5, 2020 8:42 am)

**Posted by Amans lacrimae** July 5, 2020 3:37 pm

Interesting how he didn't mind to be heard sobbing loudly, yet, he asked her to close her eyes. I thought he would try to conceal all signs of crying, not just the visual ones.

**Posted by caircair** July 5, 2020 10:23 pm

I got the impression he couldn't have cried quietly, that he was sobbing in spite of himself. For some men, when they're crying you can hear the emotional hesitation even as they're letting go. That is a type of crying I prefer -- as long as it's acted. In real life I'm too caught up in comforting the crier to be able to pay attention to the sights and sounds of the crying.

Also, here's a link to a scene in "Bright Young Things" as a younger Michael Sheen says goodbye to his friends just before he flees the country. (He plays a homosexual man who is facing arrest for being gay.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OsyQitceW8

Last edited by caircair (July 5, 2020 10:35 pm)

**Posted by Amans lacrimae** July 6, 2020 4:56 am

caircair wrote:
I got the impression he couldn't have cried quietly, that he was sobbing in spite of himself. For some men, when they're crying you can hear the emotional hesitation even as they're letting go. That is a type of crying I prefer -- as long as it's acted. In real life I'm too caught up in comforting the crier to be able to pay attention to the sights and sounds of the crying.

Also, here's a link to a scene in "Bright Young Things" as a younger Michael Sheen says goodbye to his friends just before he flees the country. (He plays a homosexual man who is facing arrest for being gay.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OsyQitceW8

I understand, but I think that if he didn't want her to show her signs of crying, he should have told her leave instead of close your eyes.

**Posted by caircair** July 6, 2020 5:14 pm

At this point in the show, they've been intimate for awhile. I suspect he wanted her to stay just as much as he wanted her to go. Plus, it's been established that she's very strong-willed - I doubt she would have gone even if he'd asked her to.

**Posted by PhoebeOnThePhone** July 7, 2020 2:21 am

Amans lacrimae wrote:
Interesting how he didn't mind to be heard sobbing loudly, yet, he asked her to close her eyes. I thought he would try to conceal all signs of crying, not just the visual ones.

He did try to get her to leave. "Virginia. Please leave." I love how a moment later he says "I do not want to--" and stops, likely because the rest of the sentence in his head was "cry in front of you".

The way I see it, he knew he was going to cry and that he wouldn't be able to hold back the sobs, and that she was going to be there and hear him, and even though he desperately wanted to hide sight and sound from her, he wouldn't be able to, so he hid himself from one of her senses to help pretend to himself that it 'didn't count' as crying in front of her.

Last edited by PhoebeOnThePhone (July 7, 2020 2:32 am)

**Posted by PhoebeOnThePhone** July 7, 2020 2:34 am

Another sweet thing about this scene is how when she takes his hand, she doesn't try to turn him toward her--kind of meeting him where he's at.

**Posted by Amans lacrimae** July 7, 2020 3:34 am

PhoebeOnThePhone wrote:
Another sweet thing about this scene is how when she takes his hand, she doesn't try to turn him toward her--kind of meeting him where he's at.

Considering how strong willed and stubborn she is, I am glad (in a way) that she didn't "humiliate" him turning him towards him and wiping his tears.

**Posted by PhoebeOnThePhone** July 10, 2020 12:39 am

Yes, she genuinely cares about him, and comforted him in a way that he was able to receive.