by Martin Sheen
Martin and Emilio on location for The Way, Muxia, Spain, 2009 (the final scene). Photo by David Alexanian.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank the following people for their help and support with this book from the very start: Leslie Meredith, our smart, thoughtful, and very patient editor at Free Press; our tenacious agents, Elizabeth Kaplan and Scott Waxman; Donna Loffredo and Carisa Hays, our champions at Free Press; and David Alexanian of Elixir Films, who helped nurture this book into being.
We’re also very grateful to Taylor Estevez; Ramon Estevez; Charles Laughton; Matt Clark; Jimmy Keane; Lee Arenberg; Joe Brinkmann; Michele Cofield; Mark Ortiz at Paulist Productions; Michael Meade; Diana Kelly, Joe Provisor, and the Ojai Foundation; Fatah Evans; Melissa Nykanen at the Malibu Historical Archives at Pepperdine University Libraries; the staff of the Malibu High School library; Jewels Nation; Belen Ricoy; Cree Miller; and Jackson Browne.
Special thanks to Renée Estevez for extensive help with photographs and archival information; CarolLee Streeter Kidd for transcribing hundreds of hours of interview tapes; and April Fitzsimmons for research assistance. We couldn’t have pulled this together without you.
Most of all, our deepest thanks go to Janet Sheen, Sonja Magdevski, and Uzi Eliahou—for everything, and more.
INDEX
Abdul, Paula, 369
Abraham, F. Murray, 350
AC/DC band, 333
Academy Awards, 139, 153, 180, 232, 297
Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, 336
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, 322
actors
identification with character by, 119–20
media and, 305
memories of films by, 141
real and make-believe life of, 195
self-confidence of, 136
transference as technique of, 232
See also specific person
Actor’s Equity, 41
Al-Anon, 353–54
Albee, Edward, 54
Albertson, Jack, 50, 51, 52, 56, 61, 64, 93
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), 353, 354
Alda, Alan, 139
Alexander, Jane, 310
Alexanian, David, 4–5, 9, 10, 117, 120, 121, 200, 201, 285, 286, 287, 387
Allen, Penny, 37, 38
alter/rock pile, symbolic, 365–67
Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles, California), Kennedy (Robert) assassination at, 3, 66, 81, 276, 341, 362–63, 376
American Graffiti (movie), 317
The American Sportsman (TV series), 260
Anatomy of an Illness (Cousins), 215
ancestral memories, 383–84
Anderson, Loni, 335
The Andersonville Trial (TV movie), 104
The Andromeda Strain (Crichton), 126–27, 336
Another Stakeout (movie), 343, 374
Antonio, Emile de, 300
Apocalypse Now (movie)
awards for, 195, 233
Cannes Film Festival screening of, 195, 232–33
casting for, 317
Coppola-Roos-Sheen discussions about, 153–58
demolishing Kurtz’s compound in, 217–18
Do Lung Bridge sequence in, 175–79
Emilio’s role in, 175–79
Gandhi compared with, 275
influence on Emilio and Charlie of, 239
opening scene in, 170–71, 234
Penn (Chris) version of, 241
Philippines filming of, 8, 10, 80, 154, 157–58, 161–62, 167–89, 191–92, 195, 207, 208, 217–18, 219, 221–22
public reactions to, 233–34
recording of narration for, 228–29
Sheen-Coppola deal concerning, 158
Sheen as swimmer in, 121
Sheen’s viewing of, 234
typhoon in, 293
U.S. premiere of, 233
water buffalo in, 181
Arenberg, Lee, 242–43, 246, 247, 252–55, 257–58, 394
Arizona, Sheen family on location in, 112–13
Arkin, Alan, 75, 83, 150, 232
Arnold, Mary, 206, 208
Arsenic and Old Lace (play), 26
Asner, Ed, 59, 60
Attenborough, Richard, 260, 264, 266, 267, 274–75
Augsburger/Estevez Scholarship Fund for the Theatre Arts, 28
Augsburger, Eunice. See Langevin, Samantha
Badlands (movie), 125–29, 135, 141, 150, 257, 293, 340, 341
Baio, Scott, 314
Baldwin, Dona, 128
Balsam, Martin, 75, 157, 322
Bancroft, Anne, 82, 235
Beatty family (Malibu neighbors), 103
Beatty, Ned, 138
Beck, Julian, 35
Begelman, David, 334, 337
Belafonte, Harry, 3, 363
Benjamin, Richard, 75
Benny, Jack, 215
Bergen, Candice, 260
Berrigan, Daniel, 270–71, 299–300
Berrigan, Philip, 300
Bhajan, Yogi, 110
bicycles, Emilio’s interest in, 130
Bieri, Ramon, 127, 257
Black, Sharon, 245
Blackfriars (drama society), 28
Blair, Linda, 151
Blau, Freddy, 175
Blind Ambition (TV miniseries), 229–32
Bly, Robert, workshops of, 355–69, 374
Bobby (movie), 3, 6, 7, 67, 276, 283, 341, 362–63, 376, 377–79, 393
Body Heat (movie), 316
Bogart, Humphrey, 27
Bon Jovi, Jon, 376–77
Bonnie and Clyde (movie), 340, 341
Botafumeiro (Santiago de Compostela, Spain), 386
Bottoms, Sam, 161, 206
Boxer, Nate, 182
Brando, Marlon, 133, 169, 179–80, 181, 186, 189, 192–93, 393
The Breakfast Club (movie), 326–28, 329, 330, 331, 332
Broderick, Matthew, 326
Brooks, James L., 335
The Brothers Karamazov (Dostoyevsky), 294
Browne, Jackson, 219–20
Browne, Roscoe Lee, 231, 275–76, 393
Bundles for Babies, 41
Burgos, Spain
Sheen’s first trip to, 280–81
The Way filming in, 279–80, 283–89
Burton, Tim, 337
Busey, Gary, 138
Bye Bye Birdie (musical), 208
Caan, James, 153
Cadence (movie), 348–50
Cage, Nicolas, 314, 315, 326
Cagney, Jimmy, 27, 236, 251, 311
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (Wouk), 26
California
Emilio-Sheen trip to, 59–61
Sheen family move to, 99
See also Malibu, California
The California Kid (movie), 151
Camino de Santiago
compostela for, 387–88
as Spanish national treasure, 387
“what is your reason for walking the,” 388
See also The Way
Canada, Cadence filming in, 348–50
Canby, Vincent, 104, 351
Cannes Film Festival, 195, 232–33
Capshaw, Kate, 314
The Caretaker (play), 208
Carter, Jimmy, 223
The Cassandra Crossing (movie), 151–53, 158
Catch-22 (movie), 10, 75–80, 83–84, 104, 156, 157
Cathedral de Santa María (Spain), 279, 283, 284
Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela (Spain), 2, 385–86, 387
Catholic Worker Movement, 264
Catholicism
Emilio-Sheen relationship and, 301–3, 392
of Estevez (Francisco) family, 16, 17, 22–23, 24, 30, 32, 110
and last rites administered to Sheen, 214, 295
revitalization and modernization of, 296, 297
Sheen family trip to Ireland and, 143, 144
Sheen’s reconversion to, 4, 295–97, 299, 300–303, 305, 306, 350–51, 392
social activism and, 300
T
welve Step program and, 353–54
The Way filming and, 386–87
Catholics (TV movie), 133–34, 141, 145
Central America, Sheen trips to, 94
Chaminade High School (Dayton, Ohio), 13, 21, 24–25, 26, 28, 29, 30
Chinich, Michael, 323
Choudhury, Bikram, 112
Cinecittà Studios, 151, 152
Citizen Kane (movie), 138, 334, 340
Clark, Matt
in Cadence, 348, 349
Emilio’s relationship with, 312, 393
in In the Custody of Strangers, 311–12
Kennedy (Robert) assassination and, 63–64, 66
in Private Slovik, 138
2003 trip to Spain with Sheen and Taylor of, 6, 280–82, 386
in The Way, 284
Cocoanut Grove (Los Angeles nightclub), 82
Colorado, Sheen family on location in, 125–29, 135
Columbia Pictures, 334
community
Emilio’s views about, 391–92
Sheen views about, 389–90
winemaking and, 391–92
The Connection (play), 35, 36
Conrad, Joseph, 179
Coppola, Eleanor, 172–73, 175
Coppola, Francis Ford
Apocalypse Now and, 153–58, 159, 163, 171, 172–73, 174, 175, 177, 179–80, 181, 186, 214, 216, 217, 219, 221, 222, 228, 229, 233
audition method of, 314
Browne discussion with, 219
LAX meeting between Sheen, Roos and, 154–56
The Outsiders and, 308, 313–20
Palme d’Or prize and, 195
Penn audition and, 316
Rumble Fish and, 320–21
Sheen’s first meeting with, 153
Sheen’s The Godfather screen test and, 153
Sheen’s heart attack and, 214, 216, 219
Coppola, Gio, 175, 177, 178, 181, 318
Coppola, Roman, 175, 181
Coppola, Sofia, 175
Corbett, Thomas, 27
Count a Lonely Cadence (Weaver), 348
Cousins, Norman, 215
Cousteau, Jacques, 78
The Cowboys (movie), 275
Crane, John, 44, 73, 234, 265, 275–76, 358, 393
Cranston family, in Colorado, 125, 126, 128–29
“The Creation” (Johnson), 30–31
Creative Artists Agency (CAA), 334
Crichton, Michael, 126–27
Crosby, Stills and Nash band, 132
Cruise, Tom, 315, 316, 317, 318
Cuba
Estevez family relations in, 20
Francisco’s immigration to, 15
Cuba and His Teddy Bear (play), 298
Cusack, John, 326
D2: The Mighty Ducks (movie), 343
Dade/Rosen agency, 245–46
Dailey, Irene, 50, 52, 93
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (play), Emilio’s auditions and, 245
Davis, Anthony, 313
Davis, Elliot, 319
Day, Dorothy, 264
Dayton Country Club, Sheen as caddy at, 21, 22, 359
Dayton, Ohio
cemetery in, 99
Estevez (Francisco) family life in, 13–14, 16–17, 21–24
ethnic groups in, 93
Francisco as immigrant in, 15–16
Francisco’s return from Galicia to, 54
La Junta compared with, 127
Sheen departure for New York City from, 32
Sheen family return to, 42
Sheen family visits with, 85–86
De Niro, Robert, 126, 139, 150, 205, 297–99
Dean, James, 26–27, 126, 246
Dean, John, 229–32
Dean, Maureen, 229
death
Eastern concept of, 292
Emilio’s thoughts about, 220
in India, 265
The Deer Hunter (movie), 239
DeLuise, Dom, 236
Des Plaines, Illinois, The Breakfast Club filming in, 326–27
Diller, Barry, 114
Díaz de Vivar, Rodrigo, “El Cid,” 279
Dillon, Matt, 301, 305, 307, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320
dinner, Sheen family song before, 110–11
dinner theater, Reynolds (Jupiter, Florida), 235–37, 250–51
director(s)
casting importance to, 288
Emilio as first-time, 5, 334–41
Emilio’s views about role of, 199
film editors as best friends of, 337
personal connections to material and, 341
Sheen as, 335, 347–50
Dispatches (Herr), 228
Dodson, Gary, 44, 45
Dodson, Melinda, 44, 45
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor, 294
Douglas, Michael, 345
Downey, Robert Jr., 132, 251
draft, military, 107
Drama Circle Critics Award, 52
Drapp, Alfred “Father Al,” 30, 32
Dreyfuss, Richard, 126
Drysdale, Don, 377
Duff, James, 3
The Dumb Waiter (play), 208–12
Dunne, Dominique, 309
Durning, Charles, 236
Duvall, Robert, 161, 176
East of Eden (movie), 26–27
Ebert, Roger, 330
Echoes of an Era (play), 252–55, 259
Eiffel, Gustave, 96
Eight Is Enough (TV show), 317
Eisenmann, Ike, 309
Elfman, Danny, 337, 339
“Emilio” (Laughton poem), 38–39
Emilio-Sheen relationship
Bly workshop and, 356–69
Cadence and, 349–50
as comfortable, 392
competition in, 311, 312
confrontation in Philippines between Emilio and Sheen and, 4, 188–89, 191, 192–93, 194–95
as director-actor relationship, 2, 3–4, 9, 286
Emilio as first-time director and, 335
Emilio as Sheen’s teacher and, 264–65
Emilio sleeping through Roses and, 57–58
Emilio as success and, 346
Emilio’s acting ambitions and, 321
Emilio’s birth and, 40
Emilio’s concerns about Sheen’s TV Guide listings and, 130–31
Emilio’s desire to please Sheen and, 7
Emilio’s Letter from a Parent project and, 249
Emilio’s separation from Sheen family and, 342–43
Emilio’s tenth birthday and, 114
Emilio’s views about, 3–4, 367–68, 392–94
graveyard scene and, 60–61
In the Custody of Strangers casting and, 310–11
as learning from each other, 393
on location together in California for FBI, 59–61
male rites of passage and, 206–7
Oklahoma rafting incident and, 301–3, 305–6
Paris Sidewalk Incident and, 4, 225–28, 271
religion/spirituality and, 301–3, 391
reversal of father-son roles and, 350
sharing of filmmaking efforts and, 393
Sheen as director and, 347–50
Sheen as hero and, 302–3
Sheen as role model and, 140, 259–60, 324, 326, 333, 367–68, 374
Sheen’s early career years and, 71–72
Sheen’s ego and, 302–3
Sheen’s expectations of Emilio and, 57–58, 341
Sheen’s promise about school to Emilio and, 164–65, 179, 181, 186–89
Sheen’s respect and pride in Emilio and, 255, 350
Sheen’s views about, 40
shift in, 303
Wisdom and, 335, 339, 340
Emmy awards, 138–39, 140
Enigma (movie), 291–92, 294, 301
environmentalism, 130, 203
Escape to Witch Mountain (movie), 309
Estevez, Alfonso (Martin’s brother), 13, 22, 23–24, 105, 137, 146–47, 148, 149, 255, 393
Estevez, Alfonso (Martin’s uncle),
95
Estevez, Camilo (Martin’s cousin), 95–96
Estevez, Carlos (Martin’s brother), 21, 23, 393
Estevez, Carmen (Martin’s sister), 16, 74, 76, 145–46, 149, 282, 387, 394
Estevez, Conrad (Martin’s brother), 146–47, 393
Estevez, Dolores Martinez (Martin’s grandmother), 99
Estevez, Dolores (Martin’s aunt), 95
Estevez, Emilio (Martin’s son)
Abdul marriage and, 369
accomplishments of, 257
acting ambitions of, 175, 205–6, 208–12, 236–37, 242–47, 250–55, 306–24
acting debut of, 127–28
ancestral memory of, 383–84
baptism of, 43–46
birth of, 3–4, 33–34, 37–39
birthdays of, 108, 113–14, 224, 306, 328, 375
Crane as godfather for, 234
directing ambitions of, 330
education of, 73–76, 77, 83, 103, 113, 128, 164–65, 179, 186–87, 205–12, 236, 242–43, 247–49, 250, 251–55, 257–58, 358
as family alarm system, 106–7
farm work of, 128–29
fatherhood and, 325–30, 332, 343–44, 347, 355, 358, 367–69, 373–74
first film role of, 176–79
first professional audition for, 246–47
flying concerns of, 219–20
forgetting of lines by, 209–12
high school graduation of, 255, 257–58
individuality of, 342
Janet’s advice to, 7–8
Laughton poem for, 38–39
naming of, 37
needs of, 188–89, 194–95
ownership of birth date by, 108
parity and equality as major themes for, 70
personal responsibilities of, 343
personality and character of, 4, 106–7, 108–9, 246, 248–49, 276–77
photographs of, 187
photography interests of, 265
professional versus personal issues and, 330, 333, 342–44, 349–50
Ramon’s relationship with, 55–56
religion/spirituality and, 4, 383–84, 392
robbery of, 69–71
Rowdy (dog) and, 355, 368, 375
as script writer, 7–8
self-image of, 242
Sheen family role of, 106–7, 182
as Sheen’s stand-in, 274–75
shooting short movies by, 239–42
Sonja and, 381–83, 391, 394
St. Patrick’s Day Parade and, 73–74
stage name for, 243–45, 342
as ten-year-old driver, 125–26
as trusting instincts, 312
writing ambitions of, 105, 247–49, 330
See also Emilio-Sheen relationship; specific person or topic
Estevez, Francisco “Frank” (Martin’s brother), 23, 148
Estevez, Francisco (Martin’s father)
advice to Martin of, 13
birth of, 14
Catholicism of, 23, 32, 110