Lisa Hafey

Staff Writer

Charlie Sheen is using his birth name, Carlos Estevez, in his latest film, Robert Rodriguez’s Machete Kills. It’s the first time the actor has used his real name, in the sequel to Rodriguez’s 2010 movie, Machete. 

Sheen (oops, Estevez!) is cast as the US President, but the film has a Latino-theme, and so reverting to Estevez has helped him to “get into the mood”.

He’s said in a previous interview: “I don’t wake up feeling Latino. I’m a white guy in America. I was born in New York and grew up in Malibu. I wish I spoke more Spanish. I’m sure I can learn, but there hasn’t been a lot of time lately. It was never a part of my life growing up. My parents never infused it into our household.”

It is of course not the first time a member of the Sheen/Estevez family has played the US President – famously Charlie’s Dad Martin (aka Ramon Estevez) did in the long-running series West Wing, playing President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet, as well as the title role in the 1983 mini-series “Kennedy”.  Incidentally, Charlie’s brother Emilio Estevez was also in West Wing, where he appeared in flashback sequences as the younger Jed Bartlet, before his days as President.

In his latest film, Sheen’s character sends assassin Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo), on the path of a crazed arms dealer, played by none other than Mel Gibson!

Machete Kills is due for release this September, and features a cast also including Jessica Alba, Antonio Banderas, Demian Bichir, Lady Gaga, Cuba Gooding Jr, Amber Heard, Vanessa Hudgens, Michelle Rodriguez and Sofia Vergara.