Charlie Sheen’s road to stardom in Hollywood was a journey that was anything but smooth. Despite bagging roles in critically acclaimed films like Platoon and and playing the lead protagonist in the blockbuster sitcom Two and a Half Men, the actor’s personal life made more headlines than any of his gigs. For a long period, Sheen struggled with drug and alcohol addiction which saw him enter rehab multiple times before falling pretty to these vices again and again.
His erratic and controversial behavior also led to him being infamously fired from Two and a Half Men in 2011. While fans may have assumed that the celebrity finally got sober permanently in 2017 owing to the shock of being ousted from the show, a far more personal incident was the real cause for him getting his act together.
This Incident Was The Last Straw That Shook Charlie Sheen Enough To Get Sober
Charlie Sheen’s stardom in Hollywood was affected by his personal life which saw the actor abuse his body with alcohol and drugs for the better part of the 90s. One of his worst moments while combating these issues was his near fatal overdose in 1998 that made his father Martin Sheen urge him to get help (via USA Today).
Apart from these challenges that saw him in and out of rehab, the Wall Street star also had a bitter divorce and custody battle with his second wife Denise Richards. The Wild Things star accused him of severe verbal abuse while also threatening to kill her and their daughter (via People).
Sheen’s disturbing demeanor began to reach his workplace, which saw the actor shockingly being fired from his lucrative gig in Two and a Half Men in 2011 after his insulting words towards creator Chuck Lorre. After a huge battle of many years, the Hot Shots star finally got sober permanently in 2017.
For fans who have been following his journey of destruction, it may have been easy to presume that the actor woke up after his professional career started taking a hit. But as it turned out, Sheen’s biggest motivation to clean up his act had everything to do with his children.
In a candid confession to Life and Style, the actor revealed the turning point that shook him to the extent that he never wanted to go down this road again. Having been given the responsibility of tending to his daughter one morning, Sheen, in his high state, failed to step up when it mattered. This incident haunted him enough to want to quit.
One morning I’d forgotten my daughter had an appointment I’d promised to drive her to, and I’d already had a couple of pops that day. So had to call my friend Tony to take us. We got her there on time, but it broke my heart.
While this was a tough pill to swallow and a huge wake-up call for the actor, it resulted in him pulling his socks up and working on himself. His determination to ensure that he was never sucked into this dangerous whirlpool again, finally paid dividends.
Charlie Sheen’s Public Spat And Subsequent Truce With Chuck Lorre Explained
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 seasons of Two and a Half Men can be streamed on Peacock.
Season 1 of Bookie can be streamed on Max.
