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Martin Sheen regrets changing his name to pursue an acting career
Martin Sheen is one of the most accomplished actors of his generation. And yet even he has some compunctions, including one he “deeply regrets”: changing his name.
Legendary actor Martin Sheen explained that one of the biggest regrets of his decades-long Hollywood career is not using his real name, Ramón Estévez, which he abandoned professionally due to the prejudice against Hispanic people when he began acting in the late 1950s.
Martin Sheen says he deeply regrets abandoning his real name, Ramón Estévez, due to anti-Hispanic prejudice
Sheen, who is best known for his roles in films such as Badlands, Apocalypse Now, Wall Street, The Departed and the acclaimed NBC series The West Wing, discussed his decision to adopt a stage name during an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast.
While the interview originally aired in October 2025, Sheen’s remarks about the decision and his attempts to persuade Emilio to keep the Estévez name have since resurfaced and gone viral on social media. During the conversation, Sheen explained that he never legally changed his name and that he remains Ramón Estévez on all of his official documents.
“Officially, I’ve never changed my name,” Sheen explained, adding that he still loves the name he was given at birth.
According to the 86-year-old actor, the decision to begin using Martin Sheen professionally dates back to 1959, when he first moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. Sheen says there was widespread prejudice against Hispanic people in the city, particularly Puerto Ricans, at the time, which made having a Hispanic surname a potential obstacle for an aspiring actor.
“There was great prejudice in the city against the Puerto Ricans,” Sheen said. “I regret it deeply.”
Martin Sheen says one of his biggest regrets is not working under his real name, Ramón Estévez, because a Hispanic surname in 1959 New York was not an advantage.
He told Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused.“Officially, I’ve never changed my name.”
“There was great prejudice in the city against the Puerto Ricans”
“I regret it deeply”
“And then I frankly I begged him to keep it.”
He’s talking about Emilio, who stayed Estevez. Charlie went with Sheen. One father, two sons, two different names, and he still wishes he’d kept his own.
ft: @joshuahorowitz Happy Sad Confused on youtube
— Ren Clips (@ClipperRen) October 29, 2026
Sheen, whose father was from Spain and mother was from Ireland, ultimately adopted the name Martin Sheen, taking his first name from CBS casting director Robert Dale Martin and his surname from Catholic archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.
Martin Sheen says one of his biggest regrets is not working under his real name, Ramón Estévez, because a Hispanic surname in 1959 New York was not an advantage.
He told Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused.“Officially, I’ve never changed my name.”
“There was great prejudice in the city against the Puerto Ricans”
“I regret it deeply”
“And then I frankly I begged him to keep it.”
He’s talking about Emilio, who stayed Estevez. Charlie went with Sheen. One father, two sons, two different names, and he still wishes he’d kept his own.
ft: @joshuahorowitz Happy Sad Confused on youtube
— Ren Clips (@ClipperRen) October 29, 2026
His regret over the decision influenced also how he approached the careers of his sons, Emilio Estévez and Charlie Sheen. When Emilio began pursuing acting professionally, Sheen said he urged him to keep the family’s original surname rather than follow in his footsteps.
Emilio ultimately kept the Estévez surname and went on to star in films such as The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, and The Mighty Ducks, while his younger brother Charlie adopted their father’s professional surname.