Emilio Estevez
Part of an acting family that includes father Martin Sheen and brother Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez starred in such films as ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Repo Man.’
Synopsis
Born on May 12, 1962, in New York City, Emilio Estevez is part of an acting family that includes father Martin Sheen and brother Charlie Sheen. He enjoyed his first major role in the 1982 film Tex, and became a star following his performances in Repo Man (1984) and The Breakfast Club (1985). Estevez later wrote and directed the critically acclaimed dramas Bobby (2006) and The Way (2010).
Early Years
Emilio Estevez was born in the New York City borough of Staten Island on May 12, 1962. Six years later, his father, actor Martin Sheen, moved the family to Malibu, California, where Estevez grew up with future actors Rob Lowe and Sean Penn. Estevez took an interest in his father’s business at a young age, and he and his friends made short films together, often written by Estevez. At age 7, he submitted a script to Rod Serling’s TV series Night Gallery, which was turned down.
To feel that he was making his way in Hollywood on his own, the burgeoning actor chose to retain his given name (brother Carlos Estevez rose to fame as Charlie Sheen). However, he was helped with minuscule parts in the 1973 movie Badlands and the 1979 film Apocalypse Now (1979), both of which starred his father.
Early Recognition
In 1982, Estevez caught his big break with a role in Tex, a film adaptation of an S.E. Hinton book. The following year, he appeared in another Hinton adaptation, The Outsiders. Loaded with such young up-and-comers as Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise and Ralph Macchio, The Outsiders became a cult classic and put nearly every major actor involved on the Hollywood map.
Hollywood Stardom
Hitting his stride, Estevez landed a starring role in the 1984 film Repo Man. That year he and girlfriend Carey Salley became parents with the birth of their son, Taylor Levi. Two years later, they had a daughter, Paloma Rae.
Estevez became a legitimate star following the release of The Breakfast Club in 1985. Helmed by the then-ubiquitous John Hughes, the film was a smash hit and a high-water mark of 1980s teen fare. Coming on the heels of his punk antihero in Repo Man, Estevez’s portrayal of a high school jock in The Breakfast Club showed the range of his talent. It was also one of the performances that marked his inclusion in the “Brat Pack,” a group of young actors that included Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson and Andrew McCarthy.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Estevez tried his hand at comedy with several films, including Stakeout (1987) and Men at Work (1990). He starred in the family-friendly The Mighty Ducks (1992) and its sequels, playing the coach of an ice hockey team. In 1992, he married pop singer Paula Abdul, but the union ended in divorce just two years later.
Behind the Camera
In the early 2000s, Estevez spent more time behind the camera, directing episodes of such shows as Cold Case, CSI: NY and Close to Home. Estevez also wrote, directed and produced the film Bobby (2006), a look at the assassination of Robert Kennedy, and The Way (2010), a drama starring his father. Both films received critical accolades and offered promise for Estevez’s future as a writer-director.
Videos
Emilio Estevez – St. Elmo's Fire(TV-14; 0:54)
Emilio Estevez – Bobby(TV-14; 0:46)
