Michael Sheen Answers a Burning Question About Aziraphale’s Choices in ‘Good Omens’ Season 2

There are many wonderful character moments and acting decisions in Amazon Studios’ Good Omens 2. I could write a thesis-length work on the ways that actor Michael Sheen, who plays the angel Aziraphale, can impact the direction of a scene with the slightest lift of an eyebrow. Now Sheen has responded to a question on X (formerly Twitter) about an exchange that has had fans buzzing since the new season dropped in July 2023. This is one mystery of Good Omens fandom speculation that is now solved.

In the second episode of season two, “The Clue,” Aziraphale takes David Tennant’s demon Crowley to the pub near his bookshop. They’re there to cook up a scheme to help local business owners Nina and Maggie fall in love. The pub, The Dirty Donkey, is packed with patrons, and Aziraphale goes to find them a table, asking that Crowley buy him a sherry at the bar. When he does so, he places his hand on Crowley’s chest and slides it slightly down, a gesture that caused swooning amongst Aziraphale/Crowley shippers. Since the episode aired, fans have wondered if Aziraphale’s rather tender touch was scripted or a choice made by Sheen to further showcase the characters’ intertwined dynamic. 

On X, user @goldomens wrote, “THE ONLY THING I WANT TO KNOW IN LIFE IS IF THIS WAS SCRIPTED OR JUST @michaelsheen,” tagging Sheen in the post and appending a picture of the gesture in question. Sheen often takes the time to reply to fans, responding to them both in earnest and with delightful tongue-in-cheek verve. 

Sheen indeed popped up to answer, writing, “Well the scene is scripted of course but Az putting his hand on the thin dark Duke like that is me, I believe.” So there you have it, folks. Michael Sheen was responsible for a lovely moment that has gone down in Good Omens TV history. And he made the answer even more entertaining by referring to Crowley as “the thin dark Duke,” a play on the Thin White Duke, the persona adopted by music legend David Bowie in the 1970s. Not only is this a nod to Crowley’s physique, but to his overall rock ‘n’ roll-meets-goth aesthetic. (It’s also an interesting choice, considering the Bowie character’s history, which you can read more about in an illuminating reddit debate.)

Here’s a glimpse at the touch in question, for, erm, journalistic research purposes:

I love these behind-the-scenes glances at how much actors can contribute to the narrative and subtext of a show, especially on one where they’re as invested and have as much creative freedom to play around as Good Omens. The original acting choices and chemistry between Sheen and Tennant we saw on display in season one helped propel the characters even deeper into the love story plotline of season two.

For an extra special treat regarding the pub scene, make sure to check out the blooper reel below, in which Tennant tries out a number of ways to order a drink for Aziraphale at the bar, eventually arriving on requesting a sherry for “Lady Bracknell.” This teasing allusion to Aziraphale’s proper bearing refers to the formidable lady in The Importance of Being Earnest, who stood as a convention-minded paragon of Victorian upper-crust society. It was also, according to series creator, showrunner, and Good Omens co-author Neil Gaiman on his Tumblr, the only entirely improvised line from Tennant that made it to screen. Both Tennant and Sheen seemed to be having a lot of fun with their characters that day at The Dirty Donkey. 

(images: Amazon Studios)

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Kaila Hale-Stern

Kaila Hale-Stern (she/her) is a content director, editor, and writer who has been working in digital media for more than fifteen years. She started at TMS in 2016. She loves to write about TV—especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery shows—and movies, with an emphasis on Marvel. Talk to her about fandom, queer representation, and Captain Kirk. Kaila has written for io9, Gizmodo, New York Magazine, The Awl, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and once published a Harlequin novel you'll never find.

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