The Best People with Nicolle Wallace Martin Sheen is the Most Presidential Man in the Room
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Oct 13, 2025 Martin Sheen, an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actor known for his role as President Jed Bartlet on 'The West Wing,' discusses his lifelong commitment to activism. He reflects on the importance of nonviolent civil disobedience and how it sustains him more than acting. Sheen emphasizes the need for humility in leadership and the power of humor to challenge authority. He passionately argues for community action and maintaining faith in the country, drawing parallels between past and present social struggles.
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Broadway Answer Selma Mobilization
- Martin Sheen organized "Broadway Answer Selma" to raise funds after the Pettus Bridge attack and recruited stars like Sammy Davis Jr. and Barbra Streisand to support Selma.
- He later glimpsed Martin Luther King Jr. backstage that night but never met him, a memory he recounts as deeply moving.
Nonviolence As The Defining Weapon
- Martin Sheen says the 1960s losses pushed activists toward nonviolent civil disobedience and serving "lost causes."
- He frames nonviolence as the sole weapon worth carrying forward from that era.
Bring Community To Protests
- Don't protest alone; bring a community to demonstrate collective courage and reduce legal risk.
- Martin Sheen warns that modern arrests on federal property carry stiffer penalties and require communal action.