American actor Martin Sheen was born on this day in 1940. Having appeared in numerous American television shows throughout the 1960s, Sheen made his feature film debut in 'The Incident' (1967). Supporting parts followed in 'The Subject Was Roses' (1968) and 'Catch-22' (1970) before his breakthrough role in Terence Malick's 'Badlands' (1973).

In a career spanning six decades, Martin Sheen has played major roles in films including 'Apocalypse Now' (1979), 'Eagle's Wing' (1979), 'Gandhi' (1982), 'The Dead Zone' (1983), 'Firestarter' (1984), 'Wall Street' (1987), 'Catch Me IF You Can' (2002), 'The Departed' (2006), and 'The Amazing Spider-Man' (2012) as well as his highly acclaimed portrayal of the American President in the NBC television series 'The West Wing' (1999-2006).

Winner of Emmy and Golden Globe Awards, Martin Sheen is one of American film and television's most respected and accomplished actors. Happy Birthday Martin.