The Real Reasons You Don't Hear Much From Charlie Sheen Anymore
Charlie Sheen is no stranger to making headlines for all the wrong reasons. From his heated feud with "Two and a Half Men" creator Chuck Lorre, his stunningly awful love life, and his most insane viral moments, the actor single-handedly managed to banish himself from Hollywood. A difficult feat given he was the highest-paid star on television back in 2010, earning a whopping $1.8 million for a single episode of "Two and a Half Men."
Since his firing from the series in 2011, he's lost much of his money and struggled to rebuild his reputation. However, it seems he's now dedicated to turning things around. Indeed, Sheen celebrated one year of sobriety in December 2018 and in July 2020, he tweeted that it had been a year since he also quit smoking. He even changed his tune about Ashton Kutcher and eventually apologized to Chuck Lorre for how things ended between them. Even his famous father, actor Martin Sheen, noticed the difference, telling People in 2021 that his son was back to his old self and enthusing, "His recovery and his life [are] a miracle and he's an extraordinary man."
And yet, we still don't see much of Charlie Sheen. Here are the real reasons we don't hear from Charlie Sheen anymore and why a surprising comeback may still happen ... one day.
Working with Charlie Sheen wasn't exactly easy
Charlie Sheen's wild antics have gone down in infamy, but even before he was talking about tiger blood, he wasn't easy to work with. During the height of his career on "Two and a Half Men," the actor was already a lot to handle, according to co-star Jon Cryer. As he told ET in 2022, things were great at first, as Sheen was two years sober when the series started filming. That changed after Denise Richards filed for divorce in 2005 and by Season 2, both Sheen and Cryer were newly single. As Cryer revealed in his 2015 memoir, "So That Happened," Sheen entered a downward spiral, and by 2010, he struggled to get through filming. Cryer recalled his fellow actor becoming "gaunt, pale, sallow, even sweaty occasionally" and "his timing started to go off, too." What's more, he would forget his lines and occasionally have to hold onto furniture to keep his balance. Warner Bros. corroborated these claims, alleging that "his conduct and condition created substantial tensions on the set."
Sheen eventually entered rehab in 2011 and the show went on hiatus to give him the time he needed. That's when things really fell apart. Sheen soon claimed he was sober and ready to work again, per EW, but production didn't pick up again. The star blamed creator Chuck Lorre and unleashed numerous tirades against him, once telling TMZ, "He's a stupid, stupid little man and a p***y punk that I'd never want to be like."
Warner Bros. didn't mince words in firing him
Charlie Sheen's reputation was further tarnished when Warner Bros. officially fired him in March 2011 and penned a very long, very detailed explanation as to why. Sheen was still berating Chuck Lorre for not restarting production and the studio had had enough. In an 11-page letter sent to Sheen's legal team and seen by TMZ, Warner Bros. broke down all the reasons why they had fired the star and argued why they were legally allowed to do so, despite their contract. They noted that Sheen wasn't able to deliver his part of the bargain because "[he] has committed felony offenses involving moral turpitude." They also slammed, "Your client has been engaged in dangerously self-destructive conduct and appears to be very ill."
The letter included numerous examples of Sheen's problematic behavior, like his ceaseless tirades against Lorre, his refusal to enter rehab, his 2010 trashing of a Plaza Hotel room that caused at least $7,000 in damages, and his 2009 arrest on suspicion of domestic violence. They also claimed that Sheen was missing rehearsals, forgetting his lines, refusing to collaborate with colleagues, and "[making] inflammatory comments poisoning key working relationships." As for Sheen, who was the highest-paid actor on TV at the time, he wasn't in the least bit apologetic. Adding fuel to the fire, he told Reuters, "Now I can take all of the bazillions, never have to look at whatshisc**k again and I never have to put on those silly shirts."
Sheen's battle with his inner demons was extremely public
Fame isn't always a blessing. Numerous Hollywood A-listers have learned that the hard way, battling secret addictions while trying to deal with the demands of stardom. And while each journey and outcome is different, most celebs try to keep their struggles under wraps — but not Charlie Sheen. The actor has battled addiction for decades and first entered rehab in 1990. A month later, he vowed to USA Today, "I'm going to continue [...] attending 12-step meetings." Sadly, sobriety would remain elusive. In 1998, Sheen entered rehab twice in the same month, first after being hospitalized due to a near-fatal overdose, then after being pulled over for DUI. He again sought treatment in 2010, then in 2011 after a 36-hour bender. However, he was adamant he didn't need help. Speaking with Today in 2011, he said the Alcoholics Anonymous manual was "written for normal people, people that aren't special, people that don't have tiger blood, you know, Adonis DNA."
Sheen also made news with mysterious hospitalizations and was charged with assaulting several of his romantic partners over the years. His name was a tabloid regular, which tarnished his character and public image beyond recognition. In 2019, he told MailOnline that his 2012 HIV diagnosis had been the catalyst for his relapse after 11 years of sobriety, but he was ready to change. Saying he was embarrassed to watch footage of his wild rants from that time, he admitted the inspiration for getting clean was simple: "I got so tired of letting everyone down."
He continued to cause on-set drama
It was uncertain if Charlie Sheen would ever be back on television, but in 2012, he not only returned to the small screen — he did so triumphantly. That June, his new sitcom, "Anger Management," became the most-watched scripted comedy series premiere ever with 5.47 million viewers, per TV Guide (via Yahoo!). Unfortunately for Sheen, that number plummeted down to under 500,000 viewers per episode by the time the show went off the air, following its 100th episode in December 2014. While the material may have been partly to blame, the actor's public dismissal of co-star Selma Blair in June 2013 surely didn't help. As TMZ reported, Blair apparently told executives she was tired of Sheen's laissez-faire attitude and ongoing tardiness. Well, Sheen found out and threatened to quit the show if she wasn't fired immediately, per TMZ. Within 24 hours, Blair was cut from the series via a text message sent by Sheen, in which he allegedly called her a "c**t," per The Hollywood Reporter.
Sheen only sparked more drama when he complained about guest star Lindsay Lohan and criticized her for being late to set when he himself halted filming numerous times. A source told Radar that when Sheen stopped production in 2013 because of supposed laryngitis, he was lying. "It was because he had marks and wasting on his face" caused by his then-secret HIV diagnosis, they claimed. In 2014, he allegedly shut down filming again when he had a facial wound "makeup artists couldn't hide."
Charlie Sheen refused to return to the show that made him
Soon after Charlie Sheen was fired from "Two and a Half Men," Ashton Kutcher was brought on to replace him in an entirely new role, which made the possibility of a Charlie Harper return viable. Indeed, when the series came to an end in February 2015, Chuck Lorre actually gave Sheen the opportunity to come back to the show that made him a household name, and he blew it. As Lorre explained in his final vanity card, per EW, he wanted Sheen to appear in the last scene, telling viewers he was "a ninja warrior from Mars" and going on a tirade similar to those that had made headlines. "We thought it was funny — he didn't," Lorre wrote. "He wanted us to write a heart-warming scene that would set up his return to primetime TV in a new sitcom called The Harpers starring him and Jon Cryer." That was the opposite of Lorre's plan to drop a piano on Charlie Harper at the last second, which, incidentally, he did, but using a body double instead.
In a since-deleted interview with TMZ, Sheen said he was indifferent about the finale, and Lorre. "I don't care if he lives or dies," he slammed, per The Hollywood Reporter. "To go that long with that immature, and that completely unevolved and that stupid, in my face, really?" The actor then concluded his tirade with a threat, boasting, "You must feel safe where you live."
Insuring him became way too expensive
Before producers begin shooting a film or TV show, they take out insurance that covers any unforeseen losses they might sustain from a cast member suddenly becoming unable to work. As Yahoo! noted, it's such an integral part of filming that it can account for as much as 2% of a million-dollar production budget. A premium on an actor, which often ranges from $35,000 to $250,000, depends on how reliable and healthy they are, and, given Sheen's very public antics, his premium skyrocketed. In fact, when Roman Coppola hired Sheen for 2012's "A Glimpse Inside The Mind Of Charles Swan III," he couldn't get insurance for him at all. Although he didn't regret his decision, he did admit, per Express, "We weren't able to insure or bond the film."
While Coppola took a chance on him, many others weren't willing to do so. In addition to the insurance issue, there was also the question of how much he would possibly cost production on a daily basis. Sheen was set to appear in "Major League 3" but producer James G. Robinson told TMZ in 2011 it was no longer happening. "I'm not going to risk putting Charlie in the movie if he continues messing up," he admitted, explaining, "When an actor doesn't show up for work, you can lose half a million dollars a day paying the 250 other people there for the shoot and the costs for the set."
Sheen has continued to find himself in court
Charlie Sheen is no stranger to court. The first time the actor's legal woes dominated headlines was in 2005 when Denise Richards filed for divorce, giving way to what ABC dubbed "one of Hollywood's ugliest ever" splits. However, that wouldn't be the last time his personal life landed him before a judge. In 2010, Sheen pleaded guilty to assaulting his third wife, Brooke Mueller, while on holiday in Aspen, Colorado in 2009. In doing so, he avoided a potential three-year prison term, per Reuters, and was instead sentenced to 30 days in rehab, three months of probation, and 36 hours of anger management classes. Many thought that was too lenient, including former police officer Valerie McFarland who took the 911 call that night. "I wish that the judge could have seen what Mrs. Sheen looked like that Christmas Day and felt the terror that I believe she must have experienced," McFarland said, per ABC News. As for Sheen, he didn't take the case seriously, boasting "I'm going to Disneyland" as he left the courthouse. Jump to 2017 and TMZ learned he was sued by an ex-girlfriend who alleged that he knowingly exposed her to HIV, only telling her about his diagnosis after the fact. The actor agreed to settle with the woman for $120,000 in 2022, per TMZ.
One legal battle he did win was his $100 million wrongful termination lawsuit against Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre, which was settled in 2011 for anywhere between $25 and $100 million.
Charlie Sheen says he's been blacklisted by Hollywood
Charlie Sheen has barely worked since the 2014 "Anger Management" series finale. Yes, he's had the occasional cameo on shows like "The Goldbergs" and "Typical Rick," but folks aren't exactly lining up to give him a job. In 2018, the actor even filed legal documents, asking a court to decrease his $75,000/month in child support, saying he had less than $10 million in his bank account and no income. The Blast obtained the legal docs in which Sheen — who was paying $20,000 to Denise Richards and $55,000 to Brooke Mueller — explained, "I have been unable to find steady work, and have been blacklisted from many aspects of the entertainment industry." In a similar filing in 2016, he claimed to be over $12 million in debt and said his monthly income dropped from $600,000 to $167,000 after he sold his rights to "Two and a Half Men," per Digital Spy.
What's more, The Blast reported Sheen owed the IRS $4,967,376.41 in unpaid taxes by 2018, and MailOnline learned he also owed millions to his lawyers. Additionally, he struggled to make his mortgage payments and in 2019, The Blast confirmed that his Beverly Hills mansion was entering the foreclosure process because he owed $86,091 in back mortgage. It was a big fall for Sheen who earned $1.8 million per episode when he was fired from "Two and a Half Men."
He became a star on Cameo
If you've ever perused Cameo, you may have seen Charlie Sheen trying to earn a quick buck on the platform. As of 2023, he had paused accepting requests, but based on his 261 reviews — many of them five stars — he was taking his side hustle seriously. He joined in 2019 and despite the average length of his videos being just under a minute and a half, he was asking $350 and banking 75% of that, per Telegraph. Yes, his delivery was a little awkward — just look at this birthday message shared on Twitter — but fans were all for it. "Absolute perfection! You hit every note — funny, sincere, and personal," enthused one buyer while another applauded, "I have so much respect for you, for the time and effort you put into each and every one of these."
Indeed, it seems that despite his lack of screen time, Sheen is turning his life around. Speaking with Jay Leno in 2019, he shared his decision to get sober nearly two years earlier. "It just hit me that I knew it was time to make a change," he said, quipping, "It didn't require some crazy rehab stint or a shootout with the cops — it didn't require anything super dramatic and crazy and front-page news." Rather, it was about shifting his perspective. "I really focus on my health, my family, and work will come next," he said, per People. "I'm excited to be excited again."
Charlie Sheen has major regrets
It was always clear that the potential success of Charlie Sheen's comeback would be reliant on his attitude. In addition to getting sober and taking his career seriously again, Sheen got on the right track when he expressed major regrets about his past. Speaking with Yahoo! Entertainment in 2021, the actor admitted he should have accepted the help being offered him by then-CBS CEO Les Moonves, who showed up at his house and told him, "The Warner jet is fueled up on the runway — wheels up in an hour and going to rehab, right?" Sheen laughed it off at the time, but wishes he didn't because "it was that giant left turn in that moment that led to, you know, a very unfortunate sequence of public and insane events."
These days, he takes full ownership of everything that happened and blames his headline-making outbursts on addiction, as well as "an ocean of stress and a volcano of disdain." He's not proud of his actions, but he is ready to learn from them and move forward. "The things I'm going to do professionally in Act 3 are going to put a muzzle on all that stuff and people can celebrate me again for what I actually do for a living," he assured.
Will Chuck Lorre be the key to his resurrection?
Charlie Sheen told Jay Leno in 2019 that he was ready to get back to work, but it was a slow burn. Things didn't turn around for the disgraced actor until March 2022 when he was (surprisingly) chosen to be one of the leads on a new dramedy series called "Ramble On." Deadline confirmed the news and learned that the show was being spearheaded by "Entourage" creator Doug Ellin and would co-star "Entourage" alums Kevin Connolly and Kevin Dillon, all of whom would be playing themselves.
Jump to April 2023 and, in an even more surprising turn of events, the unthinkable happened when Sheen was tapped for a recurring role on Chuck Lorre's first comedy series for HBO Max. Deadline broke the news that the show, titled "How To Be a Bookie," would see Sheen back on the small screen opposite lead Sebastian Maniscalco and series regulars Omar J. Dorsey, Andrea Anders, Vanessa Ferlito, and Jorge Garcia. While details were scarce, the outlet learned that the show would tell the story of a bookie (Maniscalco) struggling to keep making money among the growing legalization of sports gambling. It seems Hollywood may finally be ready to give Sheen another chance.