It wouldn’t be a mistake to call Two and a Half Men one of the leading sitcoms of the 2000s. The Charlie Sheen starrer won everyone’s hearts with its novel brand of comedy and an affable cast. But in spite of everything, Hugh Grant was “too scared” to sign on the project. An offer that would be hard to turn down for any star came with a red flag for the Notting Hill star. And his rejection was partly because of the turmoil the showmakers found themselves in.
Charlie Sheen had to be fired from Two and a Half Men for calling Chuck Lorre stupid
Charlie Sheen and John Cryer had forged a formidable relationship on the show as everyone’s favorite Harper brothers. Their un-brotherly dynamic enthralled the viewers for the first 8 seasons. But tragedy befell, as Sheen found himself in the heart of a controversy.
The Platoon’s star penchant for questionable behavior was not going unnoticed by the people at CBS. Derogatory remarks about Chuck Lorre, wherein he called the creator “stupid”, were the last nail in the coffin. But firing the highest-paid TV show earner of all time left too big a void.
The saga of replacing Charlie Sheen
Sometime between Season 8 and Season 9, Charlie Sheen was killed by a train accident (it would be revealed in the final season of the show that his death was a hoax planned by his “beloved” Rose). This meant they were on the lookout for a major star to replace him.
As fate would have it, they cast Ashton Kutcher as the billionaire entrepreneur, Walden Schmidt. The That 70s’ Show star did an able job, making fans fall in love with him as well. But there was a time when Hugh Grant was in the running for Walden Schmidt’s role.
Why Hugh Grant was scared of featuring in Two and a Half Men
In an interview on The Howard Stern Show, Grant opened up about the offer that had come his way. It wasn’t lacking when it came to the money. He quipped in,
“The problem was they didn’t have a script or a new character they just said trust us we’ll create one… I said it’s very difficult for me to consider this without a script they said trust us trust us trust us.”
“I said well you’re obviously brilliantly talented because I like that show and yes they make brilliant TV shows really but I said I’m too scared to sign up without a script.”
