In Platoon, which actor plays the young soldier Chris Taylor?

Charlie Sheen plays Chris Taylor, the young soldier at the center of Platoon.

Oliver Stone’s 1986 film follows Taylor after he leaves university and volunteers for service in the Vietnam War. The story is presented largely through his eyes as he encounters the conflict between two sergeants, Elias and Barnes, and sees the moral pressures of combat.

Sheen’s performance established him as a leading film actor during the 1980s. The cast also included Willem Dafoe as Sergeant Elias Grodin and Tom Berenger as Staff Sergeant Bob Barnes, whose opposing approaches shape Taylor’s experience.

Platoon drew on Stone’s own service in Vietnam and won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It also won Oscars for directing, film editing and sound. The film is not a documentary, but its setting and many details are rooted in Stone’s wartime experiences.