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The West Wing
Background:
Probably most-famous for his role of Captain Benjamin L. Willard in the drama
Apocalypse Now, worldwide veteran actor Martin Sheen became a household name for
most TV viewers for his role of US President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet in the
renowned series “The West Wing” (1999-2006), where he has picked up various
awards, including a Golden Globe and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. For the
same role, he also earned 4 Emmy, 4 Golden Globe and 5 Screen Actors Guild
nominations.
Previously, the versatile actor was already a hit in the film industry for
winning a San Sebastián International Film Festival Award for his leading role
of the teen murderer Kit Carruthers in Badlands (1973). He also took home a
Saturn Award after playing Frank Hallet in the thriller The Little Girl Who
Lives Down the Lane (1976), as well as an Emmy Award for his guest appearance in
the sitcom “Murphy Brown” (1993). Giving an all-out effort in each performance,
Sheen was later handed an Imagen Foundation and a Nosostros Golden Eagle
Lifetime Achievement award.
“I love my country enough to suffer its wrath.” Martin Sheen on his political
activism and arrests for protests
Off screen, Sheen, who is famous for his political criticism, has been arrested
63 times for protesting against a number of US political issues. He is an active
supporter of PETA, as well as the Consistent Life ethic, which advocates against
abortion, capital punishment and war. In 2003, he became a member of the Artists
United To Win Without War and tirelessly urged people to protest the Iraq war,
and criticized President George W. Bush for invading the country. Upon his
political stance, the Democratic actor remarked, “Don’t invade Iraq. Inspections
work, war won’t.”
Aside from his political fights, Sheen took a little break from his work in “The
West Wing” in 2002 to help a substance abuse treatment center celebrate the end
of its $5 million fund-raising campaign. The 5th Tropopkin’s “Top 25 Most
Intriguing People,” in 2003, Sheen received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree
from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the dedication of the
school’s new library (Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website).
As for his private life, Sheen and his wife are reportedly forbidden to see
their grandchildren, Lola and Sam, by the estranged wife of Charlie Sheen,
Denise Richards. However, Richards’ spokesperson denied the rumor. Charlie Sheen
has been given a restraining order to maintain his distance from Richards and
their two young daughters following Richards’ file for divorce from him with the
allegations of gambling, using prostitutes and visiting porn websites. Sheen Sr.
is the father of actors Emilio Estevez, Ramon Estevez, Charlie Sheen, and Renee
Estevez.
Immigrants’ Son
Childhood and Family:
Martin Sheen was born Ramon Gerardo Antonio Estevez on August 3, 1940, in
Dayton, Ohio, to Spanish immigrant father Francisco Estevez and Irish mother
Mary Ann Estevez. He is the brother of actor Joe Estevez (born in 1942), Carmen
Estevez (teacher) and eight other siblings. Ramon was born with a birth defect
because of the forceps used at labor which crushed his left shoulder.
Young Ramon, who has shown his knack for acting since an early age, appeared on
a local Dayton TV program and won reading poetry and scripture competitions.
Winning a trip to New York and a CBS audition, he soon dreamed of building a
solid acting career. After graduating from Chaminade High School in Dayton, he
intentionally flunked the entrance exam to the University of Dayton so he could
move to New York and study acting. He then changed his name to “Martin” (taken
from his friend) and “Sheen” (from popular Bishop Fulton J. Sheen).
Martin is the husband of artist Janet Sheen, whom he married on December 23,
1961. The couple has four children, all of whom later followed in Martin’s
footsteps: sons Emilio Estevez (born on May 12, 1962), Ramon Estevez (born on
August 3 1963) and Charlie Sheen (born on September 3, 1965 as Carlos Estevez),
as well as daughter Renee Estevez (born in 1967). Ramon is also the grandfather
of Lola and Sam (father: Charlie Sheen, mother: actress Denise Richards, now
divorced).
Apocalypse Now
Career:
Arriving in New York on February 1, 1959, Martin Sheen got his first job as a
curtain puller and “general cleaner-upper” at the Living Theater. He also worked
as an usher at Cinema I and Cinema II and worked for American Express’ mail
order division. He made a stage debut at the Living Theater in the 1959
production of “The Connection.” Two years later, Sheen made his early TV debut
with a guest appearance as Packy in an episode of the series “Route 66,” and
followed it up with his first Shakespearean role in the New York Shakespeare
Festival (NYSF) production of “Anthony and Cleopatra.” In 1964, he debuted on
Broadway with Frank Gilroy’s “Never Live Over a Pretzel Factory,” and gained
success for his Tony-nominated role of Tim Cleary in “The Subject Was Roses.”
Meanwhile, Sheen had guest performances in numerous TV series including “Naked
City” (1962), “Arrest and Trial” (1963), “The Nurses” (1964) and “As the World
Turns” (1965-1970, as Jack Davis), before making his first TV film performance
in Ten Blocks on the Camino Real (1966, played Kilroy). His big screen debut of
subway train hijacker Artie Connors in The Incident (1967) was ensued with the
revival of The Subject Was Roses (1968), where he received a Golden Globe
nomination after reprising his role of Tim Cleary. In NYSF, the stage actor
again performed Shakespearean in the rock version of “Hamlet” (1967) and
undertook the part of Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” (1968). Stepping further into
stage production, he wrote a play titled “Down the Morning Line,” which was
performed at NYC’s Public Theater in 1969.
Amid his gigs in TV series, Sheen had the supporting turn as 1st Lt. Dobbs in
the star-studded movie Catch-22 (1970), the adaptation of Joseph Heller’s novel.
On the small screen, following the drama Goodbye, Raggedy Ann (1971), the actor
costarred as the homosexual Gary McClain, opposite Hal Holbrook, in That Certain
Summer (1972).
“That was the most extraordinary experience of my life and the only piece of
work I wouldn’t touch a frame of.” Martin Sheen on Badlands
Sheen made a name for himself as a gifted actor when he was cast in the leading
role of the teen murderer Kit Carruthers, opposite Sissy Spacek, in Terrence
Malick’s directing debut Badlands (1973). For his superb acting, he won a San
Sebastián International Film Festival for Best Actor. He also gave an
Emmy-nominated performance as the title role in the TV film The Execution of
Private Slovik (1974), which was ensued by Sweet Hostage (1975, starred as
Leonard Hatch). The performer then proved his versatility in Broadway’s revival
of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” (1975), playing Happy Loman.
Gaining higher recognition, Sheen’s outstanding turn as Frank Hallet in the
thriller The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976) later won him a Saturn
for Best Actor in Horror. He also received rave reviews after taking the roles
of the cab driver, opposite Eva Marie Saint, in the made-for-TV drama Taxi
(1978), as well as Captain Benjamin L. Willard, a soldier in the Vietnam War, in
Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979). Next up for Sheen, he costarred
with Kirk Douglas in the sci-fi movie The Final Countdown (1980), played the
architect-turned-robber Stephen Booker in Loophole (1981) and appeared as Vince
Walker in Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982). The multi-talented actor then
presented a memorable turn as President John F. Kennedy in the miniseries
“Kennedy” (1983), in which he earned a Golden Globe and BAFTA nomination for
Best Actor.
He was also seen in the TV movies The Guardian (1984) and The Fourth Wise Man
(1985), before trying his hand as director and producer in the family drama
Babies Having Babies (1986, TV). Presenting his debut quite well, Sheen was
handed a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Directing in Children’s Programming and
the program was nominated for Outstanding Children’s Special. He continued
producing for the films Da (1988, also starred as Charlie), Judgment in Berlin
(1988, also played Judge Herbert J Stern) and the Emmy-nominated children’s
special No Means No (1988, TV). The next year, Sheen produced and starred as Dr.
Alexander Brown, alongside his son Emilio Estevez, in the TV drama Nightbreaker.
He then directed the drama Cadence (1990), in which he also starred with his
sons Charlie Sheen and Ramon Estevez.
From drama to thrillers, the actor detoured to the romantic comedy genre by
undertaking the role of Anthony Wayne, a bachelor trying to get closer to the
woman he loves, in The Maid (1991). He was also seen in the drama Running Wild
(1992), playing documentary filmmaker Dan Walker. Amid his busy screen work,
Sheen played the leading role of writer Ned Weeks in the acclaimed London stage
production of Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart” (1987) and returned to NYSF with
a turn as Marcus Brutus in the 1988 production of “Julius Caesar.”
Appearing as Nick Brody, a former radical turned conservative, in an episode of
the sitcom “Murphy Brown” (1993), Sheen earned praise and won an Emmy for
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. The victory was followed with such
turns as Kelly, the assistant of a mob boss, in Hits (1994), presidential
advisor A.J. MacInerney in the Aaron Sorkin-written The American President
(1995), Bob Collier in The War at Home (1996), a US President in the ABC
miniseries “Medusa’s Child” (1997) and the President in the short movie Family
Attraction (1998).
The receiver of the Lifetime Achievement award from the Imagen Foundation (1998)
and Nosostros Golden Eagle (2000), Sheen had his career blasted even higher when
he rejoined creator Aaron Sorkin for the popular series “The West Wing”
(1999-2006), playing US President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet. Delivering a wonderful
performance, not only did the actor win viewers’ heart, but also swiped numerous
awards like a Golden Globe, two Screen Actors Guilds, an ALMA, a Golden
Satellite, a TV Guide and a Viewers for Quality Television for Best Actor.
Additionally, he netted two Screen Actors Guilds for Best Ensemble and a TV
Guide for Actor of the Year in a Drama Series, as well as earned 4 Emmy, 4
Golden Globe and 5 Screen Actors Guild nominations.
In the course of his work in the series, Sheen was also seen as basketball coach
Duke Goulding in the high school drama O (2001), a modern revival of
Shakespeare’s play “Othello.” He also played Roger Strong in the biopic drama
Catch Me If You Can (2002), costarred with his daughter Renee Estevez in Milost
Mora (2003), took a part in the war drama Jerusalemski Sindrom (2004) and guest
starred in the comedy series “Two and a Half Men” (2005).
Fans of Sheen should not miss his upcoming works. The veteran actor will play
Queenan in Martin Scorsese’s star-studded The Departed (2006), alongside
Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. He will also be seen in Emilio
Estevez’ Bobby (2006) and in the drama thriller Bordertown (2006). The same
year, he is also set to be the co-executive producer of an untitled comedy
series written by Brian Bird.
Awards:
