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Martin Sheen

Martin Sheen
Martin Sheen in 2008
Personal information
Birth nameRamón Antonio Gerard Estévez
Birth dateAugust 3, 1940(age 75)
Place of birthDayton, Ohio, United States
OccupationActor
Years active1961 � present
SpouseJanet Templeton (1961-present)
ChildrenEmilio, Ramón, Carlos, Renée

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Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez (born August 3, 1940), better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands (1973) and Apocalypse Now (1979), and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.

He is considered one of the best actors to never be nominated for an Academy Award despite his acclaimed performances. In film he has won the Best Actor award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival for his performance as Kit Carruthers in Badlands. His portrayal of Capt. Willard in Apocalypse Now earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. Sheen has worked with a wide variety of film directors, such as Richard Attenborough, Francis Ford Coppola, Terrence Malick, Mike Nichols, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Oliver Stone. He has had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since 1989. In television he has won both a Golden Globe and two Screen Actors Guild awards for playing the lead role of President Bartlet in The West Wing, and an Emmy for guest acting in the sitcom Murphy Brown.

Born and raised in the United States from immigrant parents, a Galician father, Francisco Estévez from Salceda de Caselas in Galicia (Spain) and a first-generation Irish mother, Mary-Anne Phelan from Borrisokane in County Tipperary. He adopted the stage name Martin Sheen to help him gain acting parts. He is the father of actors Emilio Estevez, Ramón Estevez, Carlos Irwin Estevez (Charlie Sheen), and Renée Estevez. His younger brother Joe Estevez is also an actor.

Although known as an actor, he has also directed one film, Cadence (1990), appearing alongside sons Charlie and Ramon. He has also narrated, produced and directed in documentary television, earning two Daytime Emmy awards in the 1980s. In addition to film and television, Sheen has also become notable for his activism in liberal politics. He declined to run for President of Ireland in 2011, a role he qualified for by virtue of his Irish mother.


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