Chuck Lorre’s name is synonymous with some of the most popular sitcoms on television over the years. Known as the ‘King of sitcoms’, the writer and producer’s works include Dharma and Greg, and his two big blockbusters Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, both of which had a hugely successful run on television.
His collaboration with Charlie Sheen in Two and a Half Men though, was also marred by controversy when the two celebrities had a very public fallout, which saw the star’s contract with the show being permanently terminated. While Lorre and Sheen eventually patched up personally and professionally, this misunderstanding affected the producer to the extent that he unable to watch any reruns of the show without being haunted by what happened.
Chuck Lorre Was Traumatized By His Feud With Charlie Sheen
For 9 seasons, Charlie Sheen regaled audiences as the unapologetic alcoholic womanizer and jingle writer Charlie Harper in the hit show Two and a Half Men, created by the veteran of sitcoms, Chuck Lorre. While the series became hugely popular with audiences, it also entered a dark period when Sheen was unexpectedly fired from the show following his troubled personal life which also saw him hurling scathing insults at Lorre.
While the series continued with Ashton Kutcher, The Big Bang Theory creator was emotionally affected and haunted by this very public feud between him and his lead protagonist for a long time. This incident affected him so much that he was unable to go down memory lane and reminisce about the unforgettable moments created in the show. Speaking to Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts about his predicament, he said,
I went through many years where I couldn’t watch the show in reruns. It was too hurtful.
But as the saying goes, time heals all wounds, and this turned out to be the case for Lorre and Sheen 12 years after their split. The two celebrities let bygones be bygones and reunited when the producer went back to the Hot Shots actor to sign him on for a guest role in which he played himself, in his latest show Bookie starring comedian Sebastian Maniscalco in the lead role.
Despite the trauma for both celebrities on the sets of Two and a Half Men, Bookie ended up being the bridge that connected them once again and helped them mend their relationship successfully.
Charlie Sheen’s Public Spat With Chuck Lorre In A Nutshell
Despite collaborating on one of the most successful sitcoms on television for 8 years, producer Chuck Lorre and actor Charlie Sheen’s public feud gained more headlines than the show itself. Their relationship came to an abrupt end in the spring of 2011 when Sheen’s public meltdown and caustic verbal attacks on Lorre led to his firing.
Before this controversy arose, Sheen has faced many problems related to alcohol and drug abuse while also being at the center of marital problems and domestic violence disputes as well. All these challenges were precursors to his breakdown moment with Lorre on set, where he spared no words when he called the producer a turd and a clown among other abuses (via The Hollywood Reporter)
This proved to be the last straw for The Three Musketeers star when Warner Bros. stepped in to take action by terminating his lucrative contract with the sitcom (via People). Following this, Sheen was replaced by Ashton Kutcher in Two and a Half Men. This made the star go on overdrive as he began to criticize Kutcher’s casting in the show on many occasions on social media, which he ultimately regretted and apologized for.
Furthermore, the Platoon actor also made amends with Lorre more than 12 years after their infamous feud, which saw them collaborating professionally once more in the producer’s new show Bookie. Lorre confessed (via Variety) that he was unsure about how this reunion would pan out, but was pleasantly surprised to note that it turned out to be like old times for both of them.
I was nervous, but almost as soon as we started talking, I remembered, we were friends once. And that friendship just suddenly seemed to be there again. I don’t want to be too mawkish about it, but it was healing. And he was also totally game to make fun of himself. When he came to the table read of that episode, I walked up, and we hugged. It was just great.
With Sheen set to be a key part of season 2 of Bookie as well, fans will be eager to see the magic of this dynamic duo that resulted in Two and a Half Men, develop and grow once more.
All 12 seasons of Two and a Half Men can be streamed on Peacock TV.
