'She's my idol': Martin Sheen celebrates 61-year marriage with Janet Templeton who saved his life twice
MALIBU, CALIFORNIA: It’s Martin Sheen and Janet Templeton’s happy love day today as the star couple celebrates 61 years of their prosperous marriage on December 23. The pair exchanged vows in 1961 after falling head over heels for each other in 1960. The 82-year-old acting veteran has since been truly and madly devoted to the love of his life, Janet, who saved his life twice.
Recalling their first meet, Sheen once said, "I was fortunate enough and smart enough to fall for her," adding it was because he realized at once that Templeton is a true-hearted person who would not condone any dishonesty. The 'Apocalypse Now' alum said he calculated that Janet would be more enchanted if she saw him on screen and magically his every move fell right. Sheen also admitted that it took him 20 years to understand the unreal bond he had with his wife. "It took me about 20 years to realize that I was leading a dishonest life and that she was my idol. She was free, and I thought, 'I want to be like that.' It was like, 'Wow, I want to come up to her level now,' and that made all the difference," he said according to Amomama.
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Sheen and Templeton have been through thick and thin together. In January 1976, Sheen was close to death and it was Janet, who pulled him back and taught him the art of living. Sheen eagerly wanted to feature in Francis Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now', and confessed his "ego" drove him to ensure he made it true. But apparently, his luck was not by his side as he was constantly at odds with the director. Describing the tension on set, one crew member told Rolling Stone that Coppola had an unpleasant way of letting an actor know what he wanted them to deliver on screen. "He would tell Martin, 'You're evil. I want all the evil, the violence, the hatred in you to come out.' Francis did a dangerous and terrible thing," the member said.
The source also told the outlet that Coppola acted like a "psychiatrist" and brainwashed Sheen, who was already very vulnerable because of his own ego. "He put Martin in a place and didn't bring him back," said the source. Coppola reportedly said hurtful words to Sheen and made him drink to get into the skin of the character. The treatment left a dark impact on Sheen. He soon became ill and suffered a noticeable weight loss. During the filming, Sheen was once walking alone when he suffered a heart attack and "crawled to the side of the road." Thankfully, he was lucky enough to board a bus and a wardrobe van that took him to the production office.
Upon his arrival at the office, he requested to see a priest, who can perform his "final rites." He was immediately rushed to the hospital. But during all this hassle the only thing Sheen wanted to see was his wife by his side. He reportedly went into cardiac arrest and suffered a nervous breakdown. In November 2016, he recalled how Janet ran "down the corridor" to get to him and whispered, "It's only a movie, baby. Please, it's only a movie!" when he was being wheeled to ICU.
"I completely fell apart. My spirit was exposed. I cried, and I cried. I turned completely gray – my eyes, my beard – all gray. I was in intensive care. Janet slept on the floor beside me." He told RollingStone. Templeton suggested her husband see a therapist, and he obliged – and saw the professional daily until he recovered. "Those two ladies pulled me through," said Sheen in 1979.
Notably, that wasn't the only time the actress supported him in his trying circumstances. In December 2015, Sheen underwent quadruple-bypass heart surgery and again it was Janet, who helped him through the recovery process. She was with him the entire time, and though it was a scary situation, "she handled it like a pro," said Sheen.