Born Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez on August 3, 1940, he adopted a different professional name and is known for his roles in “The Subject Was Roses” and “Badlands.”
The actor with a striking acting range achieved wide recognition in 1979 when he played the lead role of Captain Benjamin Willard in “Apocalypse Now.”
He is a multiple Emmy, SAG, and Golden Globe Award winner and is one of America’s most celebrated, accomplished, and colorful actors.
Child of Immigrants Dreaming to Be an Actor
This mysterious actor was born to an Irish mother, Mary-Ann Phelan, and a Spanish father, Francisco Estévez Martínez. His parents had met in Ohio when they were both attending citizenship school.
He was born in Dayton, Ohio, and is one of ten children. At birth, a pair of forceps crushed his left shoulder and left his left arm paralyzed for a long time, causing him to have limited lateral movement of his left arm.
Growing up, he didn’t see his family as poor because everyone they knew lived like them. Before his 11th birthday, he lost his mother, and even though it was tough for him, it made him very strong, tolerant, and appreciative of his father.
As a young child, around six or seven years old, he started going to the movies, and gradually, it dawned on Martin that he was going to be an actor.
