Martin Sheen made his film debut with the 1967 drama film ‘The Incident’ directed by Larry Peerce. Even though the film received critical acclaim upon its release, it was an average success at the box office. The following year, Martin starred as 'Timmy Cleary' in the film ‘The Subject Was Roses’ for which he won a ‘Golden Globe Award’ nomination.
Martin Sheen continued to star in films like ‘Catch – 22’ (1970), ‘No Drums, No Bugles’ (1972), ‘Badlands’ (1973), ‘The California Kid’ (1974), and ‘The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane’ (1976). In 1979, Martin got his breakthrough role as ‘Captain Benjamin L. Willard’ in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed epic psychological war film ‘Apocalypse Now.’ The film became a massive critical and commercial success and went on to be considered as one of the greatest films ever made. Martin earned a ‘BAFTA Film Award’ nomination for his performance in the film.
He continued to star in films like ‘The Dead Zone’ (1983), ‘A State of Emergency’ (1986), ‘Siesta’ (1987), ‘Beverly Hills Brats’ (1989), and ‘Cadence’ (1990) which also starred his sons Charlie and Ramón. Martin Sheen went on to gain popularity for his roles in films like ‘The Departed’ (2006), ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ (2012), ‘Ask Me Anything’ (2014), and ‘Come Sunday’ (2018).
Martin has earned prominence for his roles in television as well. He first appeared on television during the 1960s in the anthology series ‘Insight.’ He has appeared in several television series and shows such as ‘Broken Rainbow’ (1961), ‘Arrest and Trial’ (1963), ‘Mission: Impossible’ (1969), ‘Cannon’ (1972-1973), ‘Saturday Night Live’ (1979), and ‘Tales from the Crypt’ (1993). In 1999, Martin starred in the drama series ‘The West Wing.’ He played the role of ‘President Josiah Bartlet’ in the series for which he won a 'Golden Globe' award for 'Best Actor – Television Series Drama.'
Martin Sheen is currently seen playing the role of ‘Robert Hanson’ in the television comedy series ‘Grace and Frankie.’