Martin Sheen is one of America's most celebrated, colorful, and accomplished actors, with a striking acting range that moves seamlessly between artistic mediums. Born Ramón Antonio Gerard Estevez in Dayton, Ohio, to Mary-Ann (Phelan),an Irish immigrant, and Francisco Estevez, a Spanish-born factory worker and machinery inspector, Sheen's early life was marked by a rich cultural heritage.
Sheen's film career spans over 65 feature films, including his iconic role as Army Captain Benjamin L. Willard in Francis Ford Coppola's landmark film Apocalypse Now (1979),which catapulted him to worldwide recognition. The film also starred Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, and Robert Duvall. Other notable credits include Wall Street (1987),Gandhi (1982),Catch Me If You Can (2002),The American President (1995),and The Subject Was Roses (1968),for which he received a Tony Award nomination as Best Featured Actor.
In 2006, Sheen played the ill-fated cop Oliver Queenan in Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning film The Departed (2006),opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin. The same year, he joined an all-star ensemble cast for the highly acclaimed feature Bobby (2006),written and directed by his son, Emilio Estevez. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a SAG Award, and starred Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte, Laurence Fishburne, Sharon Stone, William H. Macy, Elijah Wood, Demi Moore, and Heather Graham.
For television audiences, Sheen is best recognized for his six-time Emmy-nominated performance as President Josiah Bartlet in The West Wing (1999). He won six of his eight Golden Globe nominations, as well as an ALMA Award, and two individual SAG Awards, for the White House series. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor TV Series Drama in 2001.
Of his ten Primetime Emmy nominations, Sheen won for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series on the long-running sitcom Murphy Brown (1988) in 1994. In addition, he has garnered a Daytime Emmy Award for directing and another for performance. In 2006, he was again nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for the CBS hit comedy Two and a Half Men (2003),starring his son Charlie Sheen.
In addition to series television, Sheen has appeared in several important made-for-television movies and mini-series, including playing President John F. Kennedy in the television mini-series Kennedy (1983),for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.
