Martin Sheen reflects on five decades of life, family, and purpose in Malibu
By Barbara Burke · Thu Jul 23 2026
The acclaimed actor and longtime Malibu resident shares memories of the city's past, social justice efforts, and his podcast
With a beaming, broad grin, he warmly greeted me at his door on a beautiful spring day in Malibu, declaring, “You’re as welcome as the flowers!” It is, I surmise, his version of "Céad Mile Fáilte," the lovely Gaelic welcome signifying abundant hospitality and belonging.
Gracious. Wicked smart. Loyal to family, country, many social justice causes, and to respecting Malibu’s mission statement, descriptive phrases that all aptly portray Sheen’s priorities. Indeed, many readers who yearn for Old Malibu will know that it’s hard to get more “Old School Malibu” than Martin Sheen.
Younger readers may be frantically googling Martin Sheen, unclear of his contributions to both the arts and society. A primer for such readers: For six decades, Sheen has been an actor, first on stage and then on television and on big screens. He appeared in six films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, starting with "Apocalypse Now" (1979), then "Gandhi" (1982), "JFK" (1991), "The Departed" (2006), "Selma" (2014) and "Judas and the Black Messiah" (2021). Gandhi and The Departed won in the category.
He notoriously played American presidents four times: as Jed Bartlet on the TV series "The West Wing" (1999), in the TV movie "Medusa’s Child" (1997), as John F. Kennedy in the miniseries "Kennedy" (1983) and as the “future” president (in a premonition) Greg Stilson in "The Dead Zone" (1983). Sheen was chosen to play JFK, he notes, stating, “I turned down the role twice because I admired Kennedy so much and I didn’t think I could do the role justice.” It was, he added, “only at my wife Janet’s urging that I took the role — she said because I so admired him, perhaps I could depict JFK best.” Humbly Sheen adds, “I am not sure I did a very good job in that role.” The critics, of course, disagreed — the miniseries received widespread critical acclaim and earned him nominations for both a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award andresulted in the miniseries winning the BAFTA Award for Best Drama Series. Over the years Sheen has received numerous prestigious awards for acting, both in television and film. He has been awarded three Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe and four Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.
Malibu back in the day
We sit at his dining room table and, being half Irish, Sheen of course makes tea. Gazing out the window at an embracing, lagoon-like pool in the backyard, Sheen reminisces about when he and his wife, Janet, moved to Malibu decades ago. When asked, "Why live in Malibu?" Sheen pragmatically responds, “Because it was the cheapest place to live!” He noted that the family first lived in mid-Malibu before moving to their current residence.
“We were really lucky to get this home — we only were able to buy it because, unfortunately, the prior owners divorced,” he shared. “On one of the first days we were in the house, we looked out our window as we enjoyed our morning coffee and we were very surprised to see our new neighbors on horseback, warmly waving at us and welcoming us — they were on their way to the beach!” There were, he notes, “no lights and no sidewalks.” The gorgeous, tranquil pool was, he says admiringly, “all Janet’s idea,” as were the plantings “of every blade of grass and tree.” He laments how Malibu has changed right before their eyes, noting that our town “used to be full of neighborhoods owned by low to middle-income families whose providers were teachers, firemen, and police officers.”
Martin and Janet have made Malibu their home since 1973 and have raised four children, who now have children, some of whom also now have children. With a tone befitting a proud, charming great-grandfather, Sheen notes that his son Emilio’s 4-year-old granddaughter delights in spending time in the backyard, and he points to a beautifully colored piece of children’s art on a magnet on the refrigerator, saying that it is his great-granddaughter's art.
Theirs is a home full of memories and joy and these days, what used to be their outside shed, has been transformed into a recording studio for recording "The Martin Sheen Podcast," which Sheen quickly notes can only be produced with ample help from his daughter, Renée Estévez, who does all things technology and technical for the production. Sheen hysterically explains that he, “just has not gotten into cellphones or computers,” and he emphasizes that “sincerely apologizes if people leave him messages, but he simply does not know how to either answer the cellphone or retrieve messages.”
A vocal local
Malibu has notoriously provided sanctuary for many movie stars and successful luminaries from the corporate and technology worlds, many of whom often don’t interface much with the locals. However, many residents in Malibu feel they are familiar with Martin Sheen, a fact no doubt attributable to his affable and sincere manner and his years-long, Malibu-focused public service.
Appointed by the local Chamber of Commerce in 1989, Sheen served as Malibu’s honorary mayor before cityhood, succeeding actress Ali MacGraw. Not long thereafter, Sheen did something he’s very excellent at doing — he took a strong stance when he announced “I hereby declare Malibu a nuclear-free zone, a sanctuary for aliens and the homeless, and a protected environment for all life, wild and tame.” He did so in part to respond to radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh’s offer to bus unhoused persons to Malibu as well as to provide a nod to Malibu’s successful debunking of a Los Angeles Department of Water & Power’s proposal to build a massive nuclear power plant in Corral Canyon. “I’m eternally grateful for him to figuratively raise a middle finger toward Rush Limbaugh, who caused tremendous chaos at the Malibu Chamber of Commerce office as many called the Chamber asking for details about Limbaugh’s offer,” said Bill Sampson, who was highly involved in the Chamber at the time.
In 2006 and 2007, Sheen and several other celebrity Malibu residents, including Halle Berry, Cindy Crawford, Pierce Brosnan, Ted Danson, Jane Seymour, and Dick Van Dyke, signed a letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, beseeching him to prevent the building of a liquified natural gas facility 14 miles off the Malibu Coast.
Sheen has also been a lifelong vociferous and vocal advocate for social justice, climate justice, human rights, and the homeless. Over the years, he was arrested more than 70 times, mainly for liberal protests. Locally, he helped to establish the free, community-created nonprofit, The Malibu Labor Exchange, which will celebrate its 33rd anniversary on Aug. 26. Sheen also helped to convince Oscar Mondragón, a former board member of the United Farm Workers who worked closely with Cesar Chavez, to manage operations at the site.
Although, to the sadness of many locals, Malibu has changed a lot, Sheen actually hasn’t. Always dedicated to causes he supports, he simply states, “I have my convictions and they’re grounded in social conscience and justice.”
It’s all about the family
Before turning to discussing Sheen’s new podcast, it was wonderful to hear about his life history. Born Ramón Estévez, Sheen was the seventh of 10 children. His mother, Mary Ann Phelan, was an Irish immigrant from Borrisokane, County Tipperary, and his father, Francisco Estevez, was a Spaniard who came to the United States by way of Cuba, from Parderrubias, Galicia. After his mother died when he was 11, Sheen and his siblings were raised by their widowed father in Ohio. When asked about whether being a single parent was challenging for his father, Sheen nods affirmatively and notes, “he certainly had a mess of us to raise!”
When asked about his faith — Sheen’s a lifelong Catholic — he discusses how his faith is integral to all he does now. He explains that he strayed away from the church for approximately 20 years, returning in 1981, devoutly following its ecclesiastical principles since then. He has successfully recovered from drug and alcohol addictions years ago and attributes his faith as being instrumental in successfully overcoming those challenges. Whether he’s supporting social justice causes or recording a podcast, Sheen’s perspectives are infused by both his faith and patriotism.
So — why a podcast?
Sheen’s life has been well-lived, and he has, indeed, been blessed with a hugely successful career and a loving family. When someone asks why he is doing his podcast, which is now in its third season, Sheen simply responds that he wants to explore “what it means to be human,” and delve into and share inspiring poetry and never-before-heard stories of his life and his personal reflections.
The weekly podcast is only a half-hour and one settles in for the episode, relaxed by Sheen’s melodic voice and calming cadence, making listeners feel as if they were enjoying his stories in person. Many fans, particularly devotees of "The West Wing," note that the episodes feel like a warm fireside chat with President Bartlet. Many laud his delivery of the Gettysburg Address, finding it full of optimism and hope. “In my podcast, I hope to share stories and personal memories, places and people I’ve met along the way, and to explore how poetry is such a vital and necessary component of our spirituality and our public discourse.”
Sometimes, Sheen discusses principles central to all the tapestries that weave together and define our society, such as the various types of love a human is capable of feeling and expressing. Sometimes, he reflects on the importance of introspection and in the latest episode entitled "Go in Peace," he shares his spiritual transformation that culminated withhis return to Catholicism.
Sometimes, he invites friends, fellow actors, poets, scholars, and family members to join in podcast colloquy. Every time, he interweaves poetry and literary sources into the podcast, making topics relevant and insightful
Fans worldwide and many locals deem Martin Sheen marvelously magnanimous and magical, and they are delighted he is still going strong, sharing words of wisdom and insights with those who take a moment to listen to his podcasts.