Actor and activist Martin Sheen will address a sold-out Irvine Auditorium today at 8 p.m. as the Social Planning and Events Committee's spring speaker.
Sheen -- who has never before made a formal address at a university -- will discuss his life, career and activism in Hollywood, SPEC Connaissance co-Director Mark Guterman said.
"It's kind of a broad subject," the College senior said, adding that much of Sheen's speech will be "social activism with a moral conscience."
The 64-year-old actor is notable for his role in Apocalypse Now as well as his current portrayal of President Josiah Bartlet on the television show The West Wing. Sheen has appeared in well over 100 films since 1954.
Few know, however, that the actor lent his voice to the early '90s animated series Captain Planet and the Planeteers as eco-villain Sly Sludge.
Guterman said that he was unconcerned with Sheen's lack of experience addressing a college audience. He added that demand for tickets to hear Sheen speak was slightly higher than it has been for past SPEC Connaissance speakers, as "a few hundred more" people entered the ticket lottery.
In total, approximately 1,700 students entered the lottery, of which only 550 were guaranteed the opportunity to buy a maximum of two tickets at $5 each. All tickets left over from this first round were distributed on a first-come-first-served basis to the winners of a second lottery.
Irvine Auditorium has a capacity of 1,260, but because some seats are reserved for various groups, SPEC can only sell 1,100 tickets.
Guterman speculated that Sheen's popularity as an entertainer may have caused him to "appeal to a broader audience."
Once per semester, SPEC Connaissance invites a prominent figure to speak. Past events have included a debate between Pat Buchanan and Howard Dean as well as speeches by Billy Joel, Rudy Giuliani and the late Christopher Reeve.
Wharton junior Naiel Iqbal is looking forward to the event.
"I watch him in The West Wing and know that he's fairly politically active, so I'm interested in hearing what he has to say," he said.
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