Martin Sheen Reflects on Regretting His Name Change

In a heartfelt appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, the Emmy-winning actor admitted he still regrets changing his name.

Sheen revealed that despite his fame, he never legally changed his name and still identifies as Ramón Estévez.

When he began acting in New York City in 1959, having a Hispanic surname, he said, made it extremely difficult to land work. Facing industry prejudice, he felt pressured to adopt a more «neutral» name that casting agents could accept.

The actor explained that, at the time, there was widespread discrimination toward the Puerto Rican community in New York.

To survive professionally, he took on a new identity - though deep down, he never stopped feeling connected to his Spanish heritage.

When asked about his late father, Francisco Estévez, an immigrant from Spain, Sheen admitted that the name change «did bother» his dad.

The realization hit him during his 1964 Broadway debut in The Subject Was Roses, when Francisco failed to recognize his son's new name on the marquee. The actor said his father didn't have to say a word - the look on his face said it all.

That moment stayed with Sheen for decades. Despite an extraordinary career that spanned from Apocalypse Now to The West Wing, he has often spoken about the tension between his professional identity and his cultural roots.

Sheen also reflected on his children - Emilio Estevez, Charlie Sheen, Ramon Estevez, and Renée Estevez - all of whom followed him into the entertainment industry.

He recalled begging Emilio to keep the family name, worried that he too might feel the same regret one day.

Ultimately, Emilio decided to stay true to his heritage, keeping the name Estevez, a choice that Martin says fills him with pride to this day. «It just didn't fit,» he said with a laugh, referring to his own adopted surname.

«And frankly, I begged him to keep it.»

The veteran actor's reflections offer a poignant reminder of the struggles many performers of his generation faced - balancing the pressure to assimilate with the desire to honor their roots.

For Martin Sheen, his story is not one of shame, but of reclamation and pride.

Even after decades under his stage name, Martin Sheen continues to embrace the identity of Ramón Estévez, proving that the man behind the roles never forgot where he came from.