The Sad Reason Charlie Sheen's Brother Emilio Estevez Didn't Change His Last Name

What's in a name? For Emilio Estevez, actor and brother to Charlie Sheen, his last name carries a family legacy that his equally famous father, Martin Sheen, wishes he had been more loyal to early in life. Although Sheen was told changing his name would help his career in the 1950s, he didn't want his son to make the same choice. As Estevez told The Independent, Sheen dissuaded him from Americanizing his name out of regret: "[W]hen it was time for me to start making those moves and doing auditions he said, 'Man, if I had one thing to do over, I never would have changed my name.'" Although younger brother Charlie Sheen doesn't go by his real name, Estevez took his father's advice to heart and kept his family last name. 

When asked how he feels about choosing to unofficially changing his name, Martin told Closer Weekly: "Sometimes you get persuaded when you don't have enough insight or even enough courage to stand up for what you believe in, and you pay for it later." Of course, it's never too late to correct mistakes from your past, and Martin took the opportunity to use his real name while working on a special project with Estevez in 2010. 

Although he has been professionally known as Martin Sheen for decades, the Estevez patriarch did use his given name on one occasion. In 2010, Sheen joined the cast of "The Way," a film written and directed by eldest son Emilio Estevez. The movie is an excellent example of how well Sheen and Emilio's relationship translates into successful professional endeavors, but it was truly a whole-family affair. In addition to Sheen, the film stars Emilio's younger siblings, Ramon and Renee Estevez, and features his son, Taylor Estevez, as an associate producer. 

Fittingly, Sheen stars as the father of Emilio's character, and he gives a riveting performance throughout the film. As he told KTLA 5, the pilgrimage his character takes is something he always aspired to do in real life: "I've always wanted to do The Camino [pilgrimage] and the first and only time I did it was on-camera filming 'The Way' with Emilio who wrote the part for me. Frankly, it's the best thing I've ever done. It's the thing I'm most satisfied with."

However, one of the most noteworthy aspects of Sheen's participation in "The Way" is when the credits start rolling at the end of the movie: he is credited as Ramon Gerard Estevez for his work as an executive producer on the film — a small step toward publicly embracing his true identity and Spanish roots.