I do what I do because I cannot NOT do it and be myself: Martin Sheen

The Hollywood star talks about his life, cinema, career

Update: 2014-11-28 10:58 GMT
The very accomplished international star Martin Sheen who has worked with practically every filmmaker in Hollywood worth working with, talks about his life, cinema, career new role as the very evil Union Carbide top-man Warren Anderson in Ravi Kumar's 'Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain'.
 
You have spent a major part of your life trying to be a responsible human and artiste. Amazingly enough, you’ve never won an Oscar?
(laughs heartily). I am not amazed.
 
Why? Aren’t you aware of your talent?
It’s a gift from God. So it’s nothing I can brag about. I’m very very happy that I’ve been able to make a living doing what I love most in the world. I’ve been able to do things that I never thought possible. I’ve travelled to many enchanting places, including India. I’ve led an amazing life and I give thanks every day that I’ve had such a life. I don’t think I can be any happier even if I received an Oscar.
 
So you don’t covet an Oscar in spite of your brilliant body of work?
It wouldn’t make me sad if I received it. But I don’t look forward to it. In life some times you just do what you have to do without thinking of the rewards and affect on the audience. You do it (the acting) for yourself. I do what I do because I cannot NOT do it and be myself.
 
Interestingly you didn’t even get an Oscar for your stellar performance in Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Apocalypse Now’?
No, I haven’t even got nominated. However I did get nominated a few times for Emmys for television shows. And yes, I withdrew from the nominations.
 
Why is that?
I didn’t like the idea of competing with fellow-actors. If they give awards they should give them to all the nominees. Otherwise if you give only one nominee the award, it becomes competitive.
 
But what to all the awards functions—and there are at least 20 of them in India—if all the actors begin to think like you?
(Laughs uproariously) Oh gosh, I can’t even begin to imagine. It’s like there is a battle and no soldier turns up to fight.
 
All your sons are actors. Are you happy with that?
Frankly, I never saw that coming. I think I was the last one in the family to realize there was such an interest in my children for acting. I never encouraged or discouraged it. They began to get involved in the process of acting on their own. I realized that my sons shared the same joy in acting that I did. And they discovered it on their own. It made me very happy that they discovered the same joy in the acting profession that I had experienced.
 
You’ve worked with your sons?
Yes, I think some of the best work that I’ve done has been with my children. I don’t know if you’ve seen it. But my son Emilio wrote and directed a film called ‘The Way’. It’s a very very powerful film that we shot in Spain. It’s about a 1000-year old pilgrimage from the North of Spain to the Western coast. Emilio actually wrote the part for me.
 
And you’ve directed only one film?
Yes, I directed a film called ‘Cadence’ back in 1989 with my sons Charlie and Ramone in it. I enjoyed directing that film. But I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoy acting. It takes a couple of years to direct a film. I enjoyed the work with the actors crew and the process of filming. But I didn’t enjoy the post-production, editing, distribution, etc I enjoy acting. And I love walking away once the camera is off.
 
You’ve worked with some of the best directors including Francis Coppola, Richard Attenborough, Oliver Stone, Terence Mallick, Mike Nichols and Martin Scorsese. Whom did you enjoy working with the most?
All my directors have a place in my heart. Terence is an old and dear friend. I also enjoyed working with Mike Nichols and Francis Coppola. But if you’re asking me which of these directors I’d like to work with again I’d say Martin Scorsese without hesitation.
 
Why is that?
I’ve never worked with a director who loved his actors more. I adore him. And I’m a huge fan of his work. When I did The Departed with him it was a great experience.
 
You’ve now played another memorable part in ‘Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain’. Do you see Warren Anderson, the man responsible for 3000 deaths during the Bhopal gas tragedy as a villain?
Unfortunately he could not find enough courage within his being to at least stand up and be a human being. Can you imagine what guilt he lived with for 30 years? He couldn’t find that moment of clarity to stand up and be courageous, to at least say sorry for what had happened in Bhopal and his involvement in the tragedy. For that reason, the film needs to be seen and viewed as a lesson to the West for being very very careful in dealing with their resources particularly human resources in the developing world.
 
Apparently you’ve portrayed Warren Anderson as an out-and-out villain?
We didn’t want to do a hatchet-job on him, if you’ll pardon the expression. We didn’t want to make him an easy target. Anderson was still very much alive when we did the film. We tried to contact him and his family to show him our script. But he never made a single move towards us.
 
It was almost as though he had shut that entire episode out?
Well, in that case he had shut his life out. He had an opportunity to become human. He chose to remain inhuman. What we tried to do—and I think we succeeded—is to show how charismatic these CEOs of Western companies are. They’ll do anything to harm the local people and get what they want and then walk away when all hell breaks loose.
 
This sounds eminently exploitative?
This is an age-old story of how the West has taken advantage of developing countries, abused their people and labour and walked away with their profits. Much of our (American) success is based on that exploitation.
 
It’s amazing, Sir, to hear you say that, considering you belong to the Western world?
It’s true, isn’t it? We can no longer escape our responsibility to the developing world. We in the United States are just 6 percent of the world population. Yet we use nearly 60 percent of the entire resources of the world including food. We have a huge responsibility. I think ‘Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain’ is an opportunity for the young to see what not to do. It is important for us in the West to be fair and just and above all moral in our dealings with developing countries....for our own sake.
 
Are you familiar with Indian cinema?
I don’t know any directors by name. But I met one of the most celebrated directors. Forgive me, because I can’t remember his name. But his movie was ‘The Life Of Pi’.
 
Sir, that is Ang Lee....
Yes, a very charming man and has made a wonderful film. Also, I don’t know who directed Slumdog Millionaire. That’s one of my favourite films.
 
That Danny Boyle, Sir?
Oh , Danny Boyle. He isn’t Indian(Laughs).
 
Maybe soon we’ll see you in an Indian film?
I’d love to be in one. I love your country. I was in India in 1981 for a role in Gandhi for about six weeks with my son Emilio. But I was only in Delhi and Porbundar. I did visit Agra for the Taj Mahal. I also did the voiceover for a documentary on Kerala. But I couldn’t see Kerala. The closest I got it was Hyderabad where we shot for ‘Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain’.
 
And what do you think of India?
Your country people and culture had a profound affect on me in deeply personal way. In fact I was hoping to be in Bhopal for the 30th anniversary of the Bhopal tragedy. But I couldn’t. Because it takes a while to get a travel visa. I’ve another job here to attend to which prevents me from going to India. But I hope to return soon. I am very comfortable in your culture. India is a nation of families. In your country people are not committed to be on their own.
 
We hope to see you in India soon?
I hope so too. In December am committed to do play in New York for five weeks. Thereafter I don’t know.
 
Tell me about your new acting assignment?
I just finished a television series entitled Grace & Frankie. It’s a sitcom. I am pleased to have worked with Jane Fonda on this series. She is one of my heroes. It’s comedy about two married couples who experience volcanic changes in their lives. It’s very human and also very funny.
 
It must be much more comforting to have good co-stars like Jane Fonda than bad co-stars ?
(laughs)I’ve had equal measures of both. It’s always more rewarding to have good co-stars
 
Are you at peace with your existence?
Well, we live in a somewhat rural community. Not that we live in the wilderness. We have electricity and water. But we live in an environment where there’s so much wildlife that it encroaches into our home.
 
I am sure the animals know who you are?
I think I should go out and tell them who I am.
 

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