Martin Sheen

Martin Sheen (born August 3, 1940) is an Hispanic American actor. Sheen was born Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez in Dayton, Ohio. He lived on Brown Street in the South Park neighborhood, and was one of 10 siblings (9 boys and one girl). He attended Chaminade High School. A devout Roman Catholic, born to a Spanish-born father, Francisco Estevez, and an Irish mother, Marry Anne Phelan. Sheen adopted his stage name in honor of Catholic archbishop and theologian Fulton J. Sheen. Additionally he adopted the name Sheen due to his desire to hide his Hispanic heritage and appear fully white. His mother, Mary Ann Phelan from County Galway, fled Ireland during the Anglo-Irish War due to her IRA connections, according to a biography of Sheen.

Related Topics:
August 3 - 1940 - American - Actor - Roman Catholic - Spanish - Irish - Catholic - Fulton J. Sheen - Anglo-Irish War - IRA

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Sheen had wanted to act since he was very young, but his father disapproved. He deliberately flunked the entrance exam for the University of Dayton so that he could pursue his goal. (He has, however, credited the Marianists at that university as a major influence on his public activism.) Sheen borrowed money from a priest and headed to New York City while enduring the struggling actor route. He had developed a theater company with other fellow actors in hopes that a production will get him noticed. His first major role was on Broadway, in The Subject Was Roses, which he recreated in the 1968 film of the same name. He did not receive another important part until 1973, when he starred with Sissy Spacek in the crime drama Badlands.

Related Topics:
University of Dayton - Marianists - Broadway - The Subject Was Roses - 1968 - Sissy Spacek - Badlands

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In 1974, Sheen received an Emmy Award nomination for Best Actor in a television drama for his portrayal of Pvt. Eddie Slovik in the made-for-television film, The Execution of Private Slovik. The film told the World War II story of the last American soldier to be executed for desertion. It was his performance in this film that ultimately led to Francis Ford Coppola choosing him for a starring role in 1979's Apocalypse Now which gained him wide recognition. On the set of Apocalypse Now, Sheen admitted that he wasn't in the greatest shape and was drinking heavily. On location Sheen had a heart attack and crawled out to a road for help.

Related Topics:
Pvt. Eddie Slovik - The Execution of Private Slovik - World War II - Francis Ford Coppola - Apocalypse Now

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Currently, he is best known for playing Democratic President Josiah Bartlet on The West Wing.

Related Topics:
Josiah Bartlet - The West Wing

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Sheen married art student Janet Templeton in 1961, and they have four children, 3 boys and a girl, all of whom are actors:

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• Charlie Sheen
• Emilio Estevez
• Ramón Estevez Jr.
• Renée Estevez

Sheen has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 1500 Vine Street.

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Sheen recently expressed a wish to return to education. "My plan is to read English literature, philosophy and theology in Galway, Ireland, where my late mother came from and where I'm also a citizen", he said. http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/story.asp?j=138251744&p=y38z5z45x A spokeswoman for National University of Ireland (NUI), Galway, said: "Obviously we would be quite happy to accommodate him. This is the first I have heard of it." http://www.itv.com/news/entertainment_1548007.html

Related Topics:
English literature - Philosophy - Theology - Galway, Ireland - National University of Ireland (NUI), Galway

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He has said that he was greatly influenced by the actor James Dean.

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Actor Joe Estevez is a younger brother of Martin Sheen.

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Martin Sheen: Filmography ►