Ramon Estevez, or Martin Sheen as he is more widely known, has amassed an impressive body of work over the course of his esteemed career.       Probably best known for his charismatic performance as Captain Willard opposite Marlon Brando in the classic film "Apocalypse Now," Sheen initially pursued an acting career against the wishes of his father, who wanted his son to pursue an education at the University of Dayton (he was born and raised in the Ohio city).

      Sheen launched his career as the lead in the Broadway play "The Subject Was Roses," and went on to receive a Golden Globe nomination for his leading role in the film adaptation.

      When asked why he decided to take the role as President Bartlet on "The West Wing," Sheen said, "It was simple: Aaron Sorkin and John Wells (executive producers of the series)." His role in "The West Wing" reunites Sheen and Sorkin, who worked together on the feature "The American President." Sheen�s "West Wing" performance earned him Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the series� first three seasons.

      Sheen�s additional film credits include "Wall Street" (in which he appeared with his son, Charlie Sheen), "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker�s Apocalypse," "Da," and "Badlands" (opposite Sissy Spacek).

      Among Sheen�s television credits are roles in "Babylon 5: The River of Souls" and the television miniseries "Medusa's Child." He won his Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series on "Murphy Brown."

      In 1998, Sheen received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Imagen Foundation, an organization that honours positive portrayals of Latinos in film, television and in advertising. He also received Golden Globe nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture for the 1983 miniseries "Kennedy" and for Best Actor for the miniseries "Blind Ambition," as well as for his work on "The West Wing,"

      Sheen was named Favourite Actor in a New Series at the TV Guide Awards and the Viewers for Quality Television also nominated him this year for Best Actor in a New Series.

      Sheen and his wife, Janet, reside in Los Angeles. His birthdate is August 3.

Bio pilfered from NBC: The West Wing.

Trivia

- His left arm is 3" shorter than his right due to complications during his birth.

- His four children, Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Renee Estevez and Ramon Estevez are all actors, as is his brother, Joe Estevez.

- Daughter Renee Estevez plays Nancy in "The West Wing".

- Worked with Aaron Sorkin before on Rob Reiner's "The American President".

- Provided the voice of Sly Sludge on the cartoon "Captain Planet" from 1990-1993.

- Suffered a heart attack during the long and dangerous shoot of "Apocalypse Now" in the Philippines

- Has been arrested over seventy times.

- Has played the U.S. President many times throughout his career, most notably as John F. Kennedy in a 1983 miniseries. Ironically, he has also played Robert F. Kennedy, John Dean (the former Richard Nixon aide) and Confederate General Robert E. Lee (in Gettysburg).

- Also played the president (albeit in another character's premonition) in the 1983 movie "The Dead Zone". However, whereas his character in "The West Wing" is a good man and benevolent leader, in "Dead Zone" he was a twisted, evil tyrant.

- John Wells was originally against casting Martin as President Bartlet, fearing that the actor would inject some of his own radical agenda into the role, and told Aaron Sorkin, who had lobbied hard for Sheen, "This is a mistake."

- Screen-tested for the role of Michael Corleone in "The Godfather".


Quotes

- "Martin's really great. He tells us he's going to be arrested over the weekend but not to worry. He's arranged for someone to make bail and he'll be back on the set on Monday morning!" - John Wells

- "Part of the reason I'm playing this [role] is because of my involvement in social issues. I'm not a Democrat by accident. If a Republican had been President when we started filming, I don't think they would have offered me the job." - Martin Sheen

- "As for the actors who play [the characters], for me it was love at first sight, and we have bonded in a very real 'family' sense. Sometimes as I watch the show at home, I'm overwhelmed by individual performances, almost forgetting that I am a part of this show as well. 'Did you see what he did?' And, 'Did you hear what she said?' I am so impressed by the level of talent." - Martin Sheen

- "He stands up for what he believes in and I think we all admire that. There's something we all love about him." - Bradley Whitford