Martin Sheen: Lights, Camera, Activism | THE THREAD Documentary Series

Martin Sheen is a national treasure, as both an acclaimed actor and as a lifelong activist for social justice. In this episode of The Thread, the Emmy-Award winning “acting president” from television’s The West Wing, shares stories from his six-decade career in film and television and describes the struggles of starting out in a profession where his birth name of Ramon Estevez was deemed “too Puerto Rican”. Never afraid to “walk the talk,” Martin Sheen has literally put his body on the line for the causes he believes in; from opposing the death penalty and nuclear power to supporting LGBTQ rights. He details his numerous arrests for civil disobedience, all of which were informed by a deep Catholic faith that taught him to fight injustice not as a choice, but as a duty.

Actor Martin Sheen was born Ramón Estévez on August 3, 1940 in Dayton, Ohio to parents Mary Ann and Francisco Estévez; the seventh of 10 children. His mother died when he was 11. After leaving home to pursue a love of acting in his early 20s, he adopted the stage name “Martin Sheen,” in hopes that an anglicized stage name would get him seen for more auditions. In 1959, Sheen made his professional stage acting debut in “The Connection” for the Living Theater. Soon after, he began working in television. He found Broadway success with Gilroy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, “The Subject Was Roses”, which earned him a Tony Nomination. Sheen married his wife Janet Templeton in 1961 and they have four children: Ramón Estevez, Renée Estevez, Emilio Estevez, and Charlie Sheen (born Carlos Estevez). After several years of playing small parts on TV shows, Sheen got his breakout role as an Air Force pilot in the 1970 satirical war flick, Catch-22. His real breakthrough came in 1973 as the amoral, yet charismatic serial killer, Kit Carruthers, who goes on the run with a teenage girl in Terrence Malick’s “Badlands”. He became a household name after starring in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 epic “Apocalypse Now” set during the Vietnam War. From 1999 to 2006, Sheen starred as President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet in the political drama series, “The West Wing”. Created by Aaron Sorkin, the show was a huge success and earned him six Emmy nominations for the role. From 2015 until 2022, Sheen portrayed Robert Hanson in “Grace and Frankie”, starring alongside Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Sam Waterston. He is a multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner. Sheen is a longtime activist for social justice and human rights.

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Chapter Markers:
00:00 – Opening
00:41- Acting vs Activism
06:06 – Being Arrested and Community Service
08:03 – Films from Childhood and Hollywood Idols
10:51 – Memories of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
15:01 – Activism Background
16:44 – Coming Up with Martin Sheen
17:32 – Social Justice in Work
19:06 – Portraying the President in “The West Wing”
25:58 – Martin’s Deep Faith

Martin Sheen, Actor
Interviewed By: David Bender
Interview Date: June 7, 2023

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