Who portrayed Liz Lemon's English love interest Wesley Snipes?

Michael Sheen portrayed Liz Lemon’s English love interest Wesley Snipes in 30 Rock. Wesley appears in the season-four episode “Don Geiss, America and Hope,” where he is presented as an Englishman involved with Liz.

The character’s name is an intentional joke: Liz initially seems pleased to be dating an English man named Wesley Snipes, but the name is identical to that of the American action-film star. The episode repeatedly plays on the confusion, making the real actor’s identity part of the gag.

Michael Sheen was already well known for playing real people and heightened comic characters, including Tony Blair, David Frost, and Lucian in the Underworld films. His appearance on 30 Rock is a guest role rather than a recurring part of Liz’s romantic history.

A common mix-up is confusing Wesley Snipes the fictional character with Wesley Snipes the actor. The character is played by Michael Sheen; the episode’s joke depends on those two identities being distinct.