If Two and a Half Men is still remembered 20 years from now, it probably won’t be for the particularly interesting characters. The sitcom’s story is closely tied to Charlie Sheen – and the Charlie Sheen scandals. It’s been eight years since the series finale, 12 years since the star and main actor were kicked out.
Two and a Half Men: Jon Cryer opens up about Charlie Sheen’s tragic downfall
With repeated misconduct Sheen made headlines during the 2000s, forfeiting more and more credit with the Two and a Half Men executives and eventually provoking his ejection and replacement by Ashton Kutcher. Health problems also played their part. Between the chairs in this conflict was Jon Cryer, Alan actor in TAAHM and Sheen’s companion, with whom he also appeared in Hot Shots! – The mother of all films starred.
Two and a Half Men – Mother Sayings Clip (German)
Now, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight (via People), Cryer provides new, in-depth insights into the creeping decline of Sheen, which he witnessed first-hand. The description of the descent can be roughly divided into three phases.
Phase 1: The dry Charlie Sheen inspires colleagues and the audience
Even before Two and a Half Men, Sheen suffered from his alcohol addiction, but she was well under control. The series started in the fall of 2003. In these “early life with Charlie Sheen was great”says Cryer. “We got along great, he was sober for two years when we started and it was very important to keep him sober. And for those few years the series ran like clockwork.”
Charlie Sheen was in the shape of his life and showed all his comedy talent. This time was also the basis for the worldwide success of the series. Cryer was delighted:
It just came out of him, it was genetically programmed into him. He was having fun and very confident. For those first few years, it was an incredible joy. Phase 2: Charlie Sheen’s alcohol addiction negatively affects Two and a Half Men
Then, in the mid-’00s, Sheen kept making headlines. The changes did not go unnoticed by the crew and colleagues either. Cryer describes his early suspicions that Sheen might go downhill again:
When we realized that things were getting tough for him and his marriage (to Denise Richards, divorced in 2006) was falling apart, he was still a pleasure to work with. He was punctual, knew his lines and did his job. But you could see something was amiss.
At some point, Sheen’s behavior could no longer be ignored. He was more aggressive and irrationalrecalls Cryer.
He had problems with the scripts […]that I couldn’t understand.
Sheen turned down jokes “With whom he hadn’t had a problem a year and a half ago and suddenly that doesn’t work anymore?” It was “Very subtle. It took a while for things to really get out of hand.”
Tribute to the late Two and a Half Men actress Conchata Ferrell
Best of Berta – Moviepilot Tribute (German) HD
Stage 3: The situation escalates, leading to Charlie Sheen’s dismissal
The scandals surrounding Sheen piled up. In addition, his behavior increasingly influenced the working atmosphere. The actor feuded with series creator Chuck Lorre – a feud that remained unresolved until the controversial Two and Half Men finale in 2014.
The star’s self-destructive behavior, excessive substance abuse and on-set antics left one unthinkable option Seem reasonable: End the series to stop funding Sheen’s drug addiction and protect him, Cryer said. “It’s not worth continuing the show if it allows Charlie Sheen to kill himself”he said to Lorre.
That Charlie Sheen was ultimately thrown out of the series and was replaced by Ashton Kutscher (between 2010 and 2011), of course, served more to maintain success than to protect the performer. Nonetheless, here Cryer describes the sincere concern of a person who sees his friend and colleague getting worse and worse day by day.
Is Charlie Sheen making a Two and a Half Men comeback?
Despite everything, a comeback by Two and a Half Men doesn’t seem out of the question. Sheen regrets his behavior, as he often publicly emphasized. However, he has torn down many bridges behind him. You can read more about what speaks for and against the return of Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper here.
If you or your relatives, friends or colleagues suffer from addiction problems, you can contact the federal government’s counseling services. The Addiction & Drugs Hotline can be reached on 01806 313031. It offers telephone advice, help and information from experienced specialists in drug and addiction support.
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