Winning? Charlie Sheen and Chuck Lorre faced a series of ups and downs after the actor’s substance abuse issues began affecting his work on Two and a Half Men.
Sheen portrayed Charlie Harper on the CBS series from 2003 to 2011, when he was fired after making a series of controversial statements about Lorre, the show’s creator.
The Wall Street actor’s exit came two months after he was ordered to go to rehab in January 2011 and deal with his alleged drug and alcohol issues. Sheen claimed in February 2011 that he was clean and sober during an interview with the Today show.
“I’ve always had a plan and executed it perfectly. Sometimes I overshoot the mark, whatever,” Sheen said of his abilities to remain professional despite his personal struggles. He then boasted that having “tiger blood” and “Adonis blood” helped him keep his addictions in check.
The Young Guns star proceeded to raise eyebrows when he made negative remarks about Lorre and the show amid its brief hiatus — which was issued in January 2011 so Sheen could get medical assistance.
“My passion is misinterpreted as anger … I don’t think people are ready for the message I’m delivering and delivering with a sense of violent love,” the Platoon actor explained on Today, claiming that Lorre had “dictatorial laziness” on set.
Sheen continued his rant: “If people think I’m insane or if they don’t think what I’m saying is true, I have no interest in their retarded opinions. I’m going to live my life the way I want and I’m going to win every moment!”
The Anger Management alum‘s character was killed off the show at the beginning of season 9 in fall 2011. Ashton Kutcher joined the cast to act alongside original star Jon Cryer until the series wrapped in 2015.
Before the sitcom came to an end, Sheen told TV Guide that he would happily return in some capacity. “We’re trying to figure out what makes the most sense. If they figure it out like I’ve presented it to them and they want to include me in some final send-off, I’m available and I’m showing up early,” he claimed in September 2014. “If not, it’s on them.”
The Arrival actor further alleged that he was ready to make amends with Lorre. “He was doing his job, I was doing mine. At the end of the day, the guy’s a genius. Look at what he does,” Sheen told the outlet. “I don’t have to spend time with him anymore for him to be brilliant.”
Three months later, Lorre also claimed that he had no problems with Sheen despite their bumpy past.
“There are no wounds. What happened, happened,” the former Big Bang Theory showrunner told reporters at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour in January 2015, per Entertainment Weekly. “And I’m grateful for the time we enjoyed working together and I’m very grateful Ashton came along and kept the lights on. What do I got to complain about? I’m so blessed.”
Lorre added at the time that he was “very proud of what we did here with Charlie.” Eight years later, that joint admiration appeared to be intact as news broke that Lorre and Sheen were reuniting for a 2023 project.
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