Thanks to THR, we’ve heard that Michael Sheen will embrace his comedic sign once again, having recently signed to star alongside Tina Fey and Paul Rudd in Admission. The Paul Weitz-directed, Karen Croner-scripted film has been slowly building steam since Owen Wilson first eyed a leading role back in March — that didn’t go as planned — and with a start date scoped out for next month, the supporting players can come into focus.

The film itself revolves around “an Ivy League admissions officer named Portia Nathan (Fey), whose relationship with a 17-year-old recruitment prospect threatens to unravel her personal, romantic, and professional lives.” Rudd has been inked to play her former friend and “teacher at an alternative high school”; with him “harboring thoughts about her, and possibly a secret as well,” some conflict could come in from Sheen‘s character, the “stiff British boyfriend” of Portia. And, hey, it’s even a little 30 Rock reunion.

A big role in what seems like a fairly innocuous studio comedy might do some good for Sheen, if only because it isn’t another Twilight movie or one of those bad independent features he always gravitates toward. I’ll be curious to see who they find that can match up with the rapport they’re trying to establish here, though I’m obviously far more interested in Admission as a whole. Right now, things look plenty fine.

Do you think Sheen is a proper choice for the film? Has his prior comedic work left you impressed?