Martin Sheen brings new 'Anne of Green Gables' to PBS

Martin Sheen believes many young people aren't familiar with his work, but that's likely to change this Thanksgiving.

The Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor, who played President Bartlet on “The West Wing” and now co-stars in Netflix's “Grace and Frankie,” is adding a television credit sure to be appreciated by all ages. In a new PBS version of Lucy Maud Montgomery's story “Anne of Green Gables,” airing Thursday, Nov. 24, Sheen and Canadian talent Sara Botsford portray Prince Edward Island siblings who take in spirited orphan Anne Shirley (Ella Ballentine). She has a major effect on them and vice versa.

“I didn't realize how revered this character is until I came here,” Sheen says of his role as the quietly benevolent Matthew Cuthbert during production in Canada. “I'm really the only person in the cast who's from the United States, and everyone here is enamored of this great, classic literary work. I'm new to the bargain, but they've been very generous in their support and their praise.”

In turn, Sheen has high praise for young actress Ballentine as the new Anne. “Oh, well, I adore Ella,” he confirms. “She's very much a modern teenager, yet she still has a strong discipline. She's no child, she's a professional actress, and she has the bulk of the work here.”

Sheen also enjoyed working with Botsford, particularly in enacting a brother and sister of that age: “They both are confirmed bachelors, I guess. They gave up on any aspiration they ever had of having their own families, so when Anne comes in, she really churns up a lot of feelings that have laid dormant with these old folks for all their adult lives. This firebrand gives them the blessing of her presence, and gives them an opportunity to grow in ways they could not possibly have known before she got there.”

After the popular mid-1980s series that starred Megan Follows and also was shown by PBS, several new “Anne of Green Gables” movies featuring Sheen have been made for Canadian television, though plans for the others' U.S. exhibition have yet to be announced. (Netflix is making its own “Anne” series, in conjunction with Canada's CBC network, that's set to debut next spring.)

Despite abundant film work that has encompassed such career milestones as “Badlands,” “Apocalypse Now” and “Wall Street,” a new skill Sheen learned for “Anne of Green Gables” was how to drive a horse-pulled wagon.

“The horse's name in the script was Henry, but in real life, it's Harry,” he notes, “so we changed Henry to Harry, and he seemed to appreciate that. He was very cooperative with me, but he knew he could bully me. As soon as I took the reins, he'd look around as if to say, ‘You again?' He was on to me, but he was a good sport, and I became very fond of him.”