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The Incident (1967)
He’d been acting on TV for around six years, mostly in soaps and guest roles on dramas like Mission: Impossible and, er Flipper.
His first film role was as one of two nasty punks who board a New York subway train and proceed to rough up a variety of passengers. Sheen’s baby face look gave his thug that much more of a chilling side – and it’s interesting to remember that he got his start on film largely playing bad guys.
Nepotunity: No other Sheens in this one. Charlie was two, Emilio and Ramon were five were five, and daughter Renee was a newborn.
The Subject Was Roses (1968)
Adapted from the massively successful Broadway play – which nabbed two Tony Awards and the prestigious Pulitzer – Roses stars Sheen as Timmy Cleary, who returns home from serving in World War Two to find his happy family life with his parents is a façade.
It’s an early tour-de-force for the actor, who had plenty of time to master the role, since he and his co-stars had originated the roles on stage. Critics bitched that the version in cinemas wasn’t far enough away from the play, but it scored an Oscar for Jack Albertson and other nominations.
Nepotunity: It’s all but a three-hander (aside from some small other roles) so, nope.
Catch-22 (1970)
A smaller part, but in a much more famous film, which finds Sheen as one of the bomber squadron stationed on the island of Pianosa during World War Two. Alan Arkin stars as the pilot who tries to get out of duty by claiming insanity.
Sheen joined an eclectic cast that included Arkin, Anthony Perkins, Art Garfunkel (yes, as in, “Simon and…”), Jon Voight, Charles Grodin and even Orson Welles.
Nepotunity: No Sheens on screen, but he took Emilio and Ramon to Italy with him for filming so they could visit his old home in Spain on a break.
Badlands (1973)
Sheen bursts on to the Hollywood map properly with this career-boosting role as the 25-year-old, James Dean-obsessed Kit Carruthers who, with girlfriend Holly (Sissy Spacek), cuts a swathe across the States with a series of murders. The actor still considers the film to be his best work. He’s not wrong.
Terrence Malick refuses to sensationalise the events, and formed a close bond with the young thesp, and they bonded as friends. Sheen himself cites James Dean as one of his big influences, though thankfully he channelled it into acting and not a life of slaughter.
Nepotunity: Not on Malick’s watch!
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Ah, yes – the other defining early role in Sheen’s career, which Sheen won after Francis Ford Coppola had him replace Harvey Keitel.
He filmed the scene in the hotel drunk, punched a real mirror and attacked Coppola. Oh, and he had a slight health scare: “I had a heart attack. I was all alone in the jungle and had to drag myself to the road to get help.”
That Championship Season (1982)
Back playing a troubled man, Sheen is tom Daley, an alcoholic drifter who gathers with former teammates and their coach (Robert Mitchum) to reminisce about their legendary winning streak.
But, naturally, old resentments rise to the surface and the reunion quickly turns acrimonious.
It was written and directed by The Exorcist’s Jason Miler, who created the original play, and originally had plans for William Friedkin to direct Season.
Nepotunity: The kids came to visit him on the set, but they don’t crop up in the movie.
Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
All credit to Sheen for spoofing his character in Apocalypse Now, and to Francis Ford Coppola for allowing him to be credited with the same name.
The tiny, laugh-out loud moment where Charlie Sheen’s Topper Harley calls out to Benjamin Willard as they pass each other on riverboats is pure meta-comedy. “I Loved you in Wall Street!”
Nepotunity: The obvious, though this clearly is the best use for it – in the service of making us laugh. And true to the spirit of Jim Abrahams’ work, several of his and writer Pat Proft’s family members also appear.
The West Wing (1999-2006)
Josiah “Jed” Bartlett might just be Sheen’s modern defining role. Originally contracted to a few recurring episodes – the show was planned to focus on the staff – Sheen’s scenery-chewing performance in the pilot led to him nabbing a proper lead position.
The ‘Wing might not always have ridden as high as it could, but Sheen kept Bartlett a great character – charismatic, smart, funny and able to deliver a speech like few others.
As comedy news pundit Stephen Colbert once observed, “he is our television president, and he deserves our television loyalty”.
Nepotunity: Renee Estevez had the odd line as one of the president’s secretaries.
Catch Me If You can (2002)
Despite some quieter years pre-West Wing, Sheen proved with this Spielberg film that he was still in demand by big directors.
Pouring his gruff side into the part, he plays Roger Strong, lawyer father to Carol (Amy Adams) who disowns his daughter until she meets Frank Abagnale Jr (Leonardo DiCaprio), who attempts to con Roger.
Nepotunity: Zero Sheen power is present. Max Spielberg gets a cameo, though, as does the real Abagnale Jr.
Bobby (2006)
Sinking once more into a sprawling ensemble, Martin does son Emilio Estevez a favour and crops up in his directorial debut. It’s not like he needed the help, though – it’s a solid drama based around the assassination of democratic presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy in 1968.
Sheen senior nabs a small role as Bobby’s campaign manager Jack.
Nepotunity: Emilio appears himself, but besides the pair of them, no other Sheens were tapped to appear.
