<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Martin Sheen has joined the protests against the depiction of torture in Zero Dark Thirty. The actor has become the latest star to voice opposition to the film&amp;#039;s glorification of torture and inference that it played a part in the capture of Osama Bin Laden, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  The film, directed and co-produced by Kathryn Bigelow, has been nominated for five Academy Awards. The film has received nods in the &amp;#039;Best Picture&amp;#039; category, as well as a nomination for Jessica Chastain for &amp;#039;Best Actress&amp;#039;. Sheen and fellow actor Ed Asner have launched an appeal to voters to let their conscience guide them when casting their vote for &amp;#039;Best Picture&amp;#039;. Asner said in a press release: &amp;quot;One of the brightest female directors in the business is in danger of becoming part of the system.&amp;quot; Kathryn Bigelow failed to receive a nomination for her direction of the controversial film but has won the award previously in 2009 for her film The Hurt Locker.   On Friday (January 11), Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal defended the film in the wake of the controversy. &amp;quot;Zero Dark Thirty does not advocate torture. To not include that part of history would have been irresponsible and inaccurate,&amp;quot; she said.  &amp;quot;We fully support Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal and stand behind this extraordinary movie. We are outraged that any responsible member of the Academy would use their voting status in AMPAS as a platform to advance their own political agenda.&amp;quot; Zero Dark Thirty is out now in the US, and will be released in UK cinemas on January 25.  Watch a trailer for the film below:      Photo gallery - 20 must-watch movies for 2013:  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a450654/martin-sheen-joins-zero-dark-thirty-protest/>