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A family dynasty

By OLIVIA RUIZ / Vida En El Valle

When we talk about successful Latinos in Hollywood, Javier Bardem, Antonio Banderas, George López and John Leguizamo are some of the names that come to mind.

Nonetheless, there is a family of father and sons who have left their name deeply engraved in the movie industry.

They are Martín Sheen, Emilio Estévez and Charlie Sheen.

The patriarch of the family

Martín Sheen, whose real name is Ramón Antonio Gerard Estévez, is the son of a Spaniard father and an Irish mother. In the '70s when he started his career as an actor, he decided to become Martín Sheen because he was tired of seeing himself in stereotypical ethnic roles and going unnoticed by the industry producers.

But he has always been proud of his origin.

"I love being Spanish as well as I love being Irish," he told the celebritry website imdb.com.

Within the big roles of the patriarch of the family, 'Apocalypse Now' in 1979 and the television series 'The West Wing' stand out. He also has a star in the Walk of Fame in Hollywood and he has won several awards, including a Golden Globe, an ALMA and an Emmy.

Following in their father's footsteps

There are four brothers in the family: The oldest is Emilio Estévez who inherited his father's vocation.

In spite of the stereotypes within the movie industry, Emilio decided to use his grandfather's last name because he didn't want to take advantage of his famous father's name.

By the end of the '80s, Estévez, 46, found stardom with his role in 'Young Guns' and 'The Mighty Ducks,' but it wasn't until 2006 when he accomplished his biggest project by directing 'Bobby.'

The movie was a recreation of the day Robert Kennedy was assassinated and starred Heather Graham, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Hunt, Demi Moore, Christian Slater and Sharon Stone. It was a great success.

But with all the fame, the actor and director has not forgotten to be humble.

"The most significant thing my father has taught me is that my job is no more or less important than someone else's," he told imdb.com.

Estévez has also received several awards.

The rebel in the family

The hottest news currently comes thanks to Charlie Sheen, whose real name is Carlos Irwin Estévez, in the television series 'Two And a Half Men.' It's in its sixth season.

TV Guide recently announced that he is the highest paid actor in American television, making $825,000 per episode. Not bad for an actor who many don't know is of Latino blood and who was a victim of drugs and alcohol many years ago.

"The hardest were those first 30 days sober. Then, three months and six months ... Staying sober is the most important thing in my life, along with my family and loved ones," Sheen told imdb in the late '90s referring to his rehab. "The movies, TV, money and all the other crap is just secondary."

Sheen, 42, was born in New York and has a long list of films such as 'Platoon,' 'Hot Shots' and 'Scary Movie' among others. He also won a Golden Globe award in 2002, he has been nominated for the ALMA and Emmy Awards and, in 1994, he unveiled his star in the Walk of Fame in Hollywood.

His famous father could not be more proud of him.

"No father could ever be prouder of his son," said Martín Sheen. "I hold Charlie's accomplishments dearer than my own."

The other two Estévez brothers, Renée and Ramón, have also entered the entertainment business, but with smaller roles in 'Zorro' and 'The West Wing,' among others.

The Sheen-Estévez dynasty has become one of the most influential Latino families within Hollywood.

Send e-mail to: oruiz@vidaenelvalle.com