Charlie Sheen talks about his return to TV, calls it "surreal"
Dec 07, 2023
Washington [US], December 7 : Actor Charlie Sheen, who was famously sacked from his hit sitcom 'Two and a Half Men' for erratic behaviour, shared that he's now sober, happy, and ready to work again, reported People.
Sheen has been out of the spotlight for the past six years, focusing on his recovery, parenting his 14-year-old twins Max and Bob, and settling into what he calls a "predictable routine." However, the attention has returned.
Sheen, 58, is re-entering the acting industry, beginning with an appearance as himself in two episodes of Chuck Lorre's new Max sports gambling dramedy 'Bookie', starring Sebastian Maniscalco.
According to People, 'Bookie' allows Sheen to reteam with the same show creator who famously fired him from 'Two and a Half Men' in 2011 for his erratic behaviour, after which Sheen called Lorre a "clown" and a "turd" during an interview.
"Look, for a while, there wasn't much about my life to complain about," Sheen told People. "I lived a life where people were really happy when I showed up, and they were sad when I left."
But then, he said, his demons, or his "possession," as he calls his struggles with drugs and alcohol, changed everything. "That went away when everything turned to s--t," he said. "It turned into, 'Oh, God. Here he comes,' and then 'Is he gone? Good.'"
Sheen, who shared that he still feels shame for his past behaviour, wasn't expecting Lorre to call him about 'Bookie'. But when he did, Sheen jumped at the chance to end their decade-long rift.
"Chuck reached out he said, 'Hey, it's time to bury the hatchet. It's time for us to hug each other. And remember the great stuff that we did together,'" Sheen recalled. "Because we made a lot of people happy for a long time, and we left some really solid work behind us."
Sheen claimed that seeing each other on the studio lot for the first time in years was quite the reunion."Both of us were just beaming. Beaming," he added.
Sheen went on to say that it's "surreal" to be at a place where he's gotten his life together and that he's also returning to a Chuck Lorre programme.
"It's one of those things that is so surreal that I keep hearing Al Michael's famous hockey call: 'Do you believe in miracles?!' It's a trip. When I won a Golden Globe for Spin City, the last place I expected to be was at that podium and I said, 'This feels like a sober acid trip.' And I think that quote rings true for what I'm going through with this experience."
Sheen is looking forward for more roles coming his way. "I'm ready," he says. "For the longest time, I had the best work reputation. I was the first to arrive, last to leave, when in doubt I'd over prepare. I would just check every fricking box. And that went away. So I was excited about being that guy again."
However, he understands that his career's future lies out of his control.
"All I can control is my reaction to things, which in and of itself is a daily battle," he said. "So I'm staying completely neutral. I'm not building any wild fantasies about what this is going to lead to. I'm just going to live inside of exactly what the moment is, what the experience is, and if it spurs or sparks another opportunity, that's amazing."
He added, "And if it doesn't? Then maybe I'll go out and create the next opportunity." New episodes of 'Bookie' can be streamed on Thursday on Max, reported People.