Jon Cryer recently dashed any hopes for a potential Two and a Half Men reboot, revealing he and former co-star Charlie Sheen have not spoken in years following Sheen’s abrupt departure from the hit sitcom in 2011. The immensely popular sitcom Two and a Half Men ran for 12 seasons on CBS from 2003-2015. Centered around the Harper brothers, jingle writer Charlie (Charlie Sheen), and uptight divorcée Alan (Jon Cryer), the show followed their comedically dysfunctional lives as roommates raising Alan’s young son Jake.
Also starring Cryer as Alan’s ex-wife Judith and Conchata Ferrell as the brothers’ sardonic housekeeper Berta, Two and a Half Men was a primetime ratings smash for most of its tenure. But the show took an unexpected turn when Sheen’s public meltdown led to his firing in 2011, leaving Cryer to carry on alongside replacement co-star Ashton Kutcher.
Has Too Much Time Passed To Revisit Two and a Half Men?
According to Deadline, Jon Cryer was asked if he’d be open to revisiting the iconic CBS show about two bachelor brothers raising a young boy. But Cryer implied too much damage was done during Sheen’s public meltdown and firing at the height of the show’s popularity.
“I don’t know if I want to get in business with [Sheen] for any length of time,” Cryer admitted. “When Two and a Half Men was happening, Charlie was the highest paid actor in television, probably ever…And yet he blew it up.”
Cryer seems conflicted, wishing Charlie Sheen well in his sobriety while still feeling the sting of the show’s early demise. Though Sheen has now reconciled with producer Chuck Lorre on a new project, Cryer notes he and Sheen “have not spoken in a few years.”
The show ended in 2015 after 12 seasons. But at the height of its cultural footprint from 2003-2011, Two and a Half Men was a ratings juggernaut that made Sheen the highest-paid actor on TV. His public fallout with CBS and Lorre brought about an abrupt closure fans are still recovering from, made worse by the fact its two iconic stars are still not on speaking terms.
Is Charlie Sheen Truly Past His Demons After Two and a Half Men?
After being fired from the show in 2011, Sheen devolved into bizarre rants and public meltdowns fueled by addiction issues that seemed beyond his control. His erratic behavior spearheaded his removal from the series, leaving Cryer’s character Alan to carry on with new co-star Ashton Kutcher.
Now nearly 8 years removed from his Two and a Half Men tenure, Sheen has finally regained stability and perspective. He even buried the hatchet with old foe Lorre.
But for Cryer, the wounds still feel fresh. Perhaps with enough time, the two can reconcile, but the pain caused by Sheen torching his own career at its apex clearly still lingers for Cryer.
With no current relationship between its former stars, the window for revisiting the magic of Two and a Half Men has likely closed for good. But at least fans can take solace that Sheen is writing his own redemption story off-screen.
