It’s a small item, but one that I kind of dig. In Robert Rodriguez’s next film Machete Kills, Charlie Sheen will not be billed as Charlie Sheen, but rather with his Spanish patronymic Estevez.
TMZ, that most dependable of celebrity gossip rags, picked up a screencap from Machete Kills that introduces Sheen as ‘Carlos Estevez’ – much as Don Johnson was ‘introduced’ in the original film Machete. But Sheen of course has a good claim on that name. He actually is an Estevez, just like his brothers and father. Daddy Martin Sheen never officially changed his name from Ramon Antonio Gerardo Estevez.
The name change is a cute little addition for Machete Kills and might even help to distance Sheen from his less than stellar public persona over the past few years. Although, like Lindsay Lohan in Machete, I think it’s that very persona that might have landed Sheen the role.
Machete Kills boasts several stars with not-so-hot public records: Mel Gibson will also appear in the Danny Trejo-starring vehicle. Between him and Sheen, there’s going to a storm of love and hate from fans in equal measure. Also drugs. Or is that too soon?
The film actually has quite the cast otherwise: with returning stars Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez, we add Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Hudgeons, Amber Heard, Antonio Banderas and Cuba Gooding Jr. Oh, and Lady Gaga, who landed the role after meeting Danny Trejo in a tattoo parlor.
And the role that Carlos Estevez has taken on? According to IMDb, he’s actually following in his father’s footsteps and playing the American President. Seriously? This movie just gets better and better.
You can see Carlos Estevez kicking some righteous butt in Machete Kills in US theatres this September. If it’s anything like Machete, I’ll be in the front row.
