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Martin Sheen

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Martin Sheen as President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet

Martin Sheen (born August 3, 1940) is an American actor.

Early Life

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, Mary Anne Phelan, Sheen adopted his stage name in honor of Catholic archbishop and theologian Fulton J. Sheen. Phelan, from County Galway, fled Ireland during the Anglo-Irish War due to her family's IRA connections.

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.

Film Career

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.

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

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

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

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. 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."

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

Actor Joe Estevez is a younger brother of Martin Sheen.

Political Activism

Martin Sheen is no stranger to politics, both professionally and in real life. He has played U.S. President John F. Kennedy (in the miniseries Kennedy - The Presidential Years) and fictional Democratic president Josiah Bartlet in the acclaimed television drama The West Wing. Sheen is known for his robust support of "liberal" political causes, and has been arrested 63 times for protesting against issues such as United States military actions. Sheen has resisted calls to stand for office, saying "There's no way that I could be the president. You can't have a pacifist in the White House ... I'm an actor. This is what I do for a living."

He has also supported causes for PETA.

In 2004, Sheen campaigned for Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean along with fellow actor Rob Reiner. He later campaigned for John Kerry.

On August 28, 2005, he visited anti-Iraq War activist Cindy Sheehan at Camp Casey. He prayed with her and spoke to her supporters. He began his remarks by stating, "At least you've got the acting President of the United States", referring to his role as fictional President Josiah Bartlet on The West Wing. Cindy Sheehan had been demanding to speak with the actual President, George W. Bush.

Filmography

External links

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