Released in 1994, FRIENDS is one series that holds relevance across generations. The sitcom was a massive hit when it was released, and has a giant and ever-growing fan following. Even though the show was a big hit, the producers often brought guest stars for improving the marketing of the new episodes for the youth. And one of the guest stars of the show was The Rookie star, Charlie Sheen.
While most of the guest actors of the show were at comfort with their cameo, however, Charlie Sheen was quite nervous when he starred in an episode of FRIENDS.
Charlie Sheen was part of FRIENDS for one episode
The Two and a Half Men fame was part of the FRIENDS series in Season 2 Episode 23 – The One With the Chicken Pox. In the episode, he was a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, who Phoebe (played by Lisa Kudrow) found highly attractive. The character spent most of his time underwater, hence Phoebe had named him my submarine guy.
In the episode, Phoebe decides to spend time with him when he comes to meet her. However, she discovers that she has got chicken pox, which ruins her plans. When she finally told Ryan about the issue, he was unfazed and still makes out with her. Finally, both of them got the disease, and when he recovered, it was time for him to go back to work.
The actor was nervous while filming for FRIENDS
According to Saul Austerlitz’s book Generation Friends, Charlie Sheen was not comfortable when he was shooting for his episode of FRIENDS. Director Michael Lembeck told the actor that he wanted him as a surprise for the viewers. Sheen was told to expect a roar of delighted applause when he first arrived, and he did not have to read his dialogue right away. Lembeck told him to hold for a moment for laughter after every line to avoid ruining his jokes.
When the shoot started, Sheen entered the FRIENDS scene, but Lembeck was confused after the actor delivered his first line. Sheen stared continuously at the camera aisle until the director called for the cut. The audience was absolutely confused as to what happened, hence the director blamed it on a camera error.
He asked Sheen in private about the reason for his awkward reaction, and the actor promptly asked him to look at his legs. On his insistence, Lembeck looked down and was stunned as he saw his legs were rattling due to nervousness. According to Sheen, it was a completely new experience for him on the sitcom. He had earlier worked in Platoon and Wall Street.
At the moment, Charlie Sheen’s older brother, Emilio Estevez was on the sets. He took him to a corner and rubbed Sheen’s back to calm him down until he was stable enough to return to the shoot.
The actor was on the show for only one episode; however, his character was not forgotten. The sitcom confirmed that Ryan continued to return every two years to visit Phoebe, but they could not continue their relationship due to the distance.
Charlie Sheen was the lead in the superhit sitcom Two and a Half Men. He also did numerous movies like No Code of Conduct, My Truth: The Rape of 2 Coreys, 9/11, and Machete Kills, among others.
Source- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
