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Charlie Sheen and Two and a Half Men turned into an unstoppable force for CBS. The show was a major hit, and the cast also got filthy rich from the show. Angus T. Jones turned into the highest paid child star at the time, and his net worth surged to $20 million because of it.
As we’ll reveal in the following, Sheen was clearly the top earner, and he saw his salary boost up during a controversial time. Jon Cryer opened up about Charlie’s demise behind the scenes, along with how he felt about Sheen getting a boost in pay despite his antics at the time. We’ll also take a look at how Sheen feels about his exit from the show, and what he would’ve done differently looking back.
Jon Cryer Recalled The Exact Moment Charlie Sheen’s Performance Started To Decline
Prior to season 8 of Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen started to struggle behind the scenes. According to Jon Cryer, it had become apparent that his co-star was ‘using’ again. Speaking alongside The Hollywood Reporter, Cryer recalls Charlie’s team asking the star to make a statement on behalf of Charlie in order to protect his image.
“Charlie’s manager, Mark Burg, called me to say that any statement of support I could offer up would be great. I told him I would be happy to but that it sounded like Charlie wasn’t sober anymore, and I hoped he’d get on track again.”
Cryer witnessed the struggle firsthand as Sheen just wasn’t the same, and that held true with his performance during season 8. Jon noticed differences in Charlie that he hadn’t seen before.
“Charlie didn’t look so good as we started our eighth season in fall 2010: gaunt, pale, sallow, even sweaty occasionally. He started talking to himself. Most of all he just looked thinner, in a not-good way.”
“His timing started to go off, too. He was rushing lines. Charlie just wasn’t hitting the jokes the way he used to. One time during rehearsals to choreograph the movement for a scene, he asked, “Can I just stand next to this couch?” He wanted to hold on to it for the duration of the scene.”
Despite Charlie’s struggles, Jon Cryer was surprised to find out that the actor had managed to secure a raise in the midst of it all.
Jon Cryer Revealed That Despite The Controversy Surrounding Charlie Sheen At The Time, He Was Able To Get An Increase And Make $1.8 Million Per Season
Jon Cryer was advised by Chuck Lorre to reach out and speak to Charlie, given that it seemed like the actor was spiraling behind the scenes. However, Cryer learned that it was too late given that Sheen had entered a rehab program. Nonetheless, much to Cryer’s surprise, the actor was able to secure a big pay day.
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Cryer revealed, “The next day, though, Charlie went into rehab, so we never got to have that conversation. Charlie did, however, have a different kind of productive conversation — with Warner Bros. Despite falling off the wagon, a rocky marriage, looming felony charges and possible time behind bars, he managed to secure a massive raise [to $1.8 million an episode], fully three times what I was being paid.”
So how did Cryer feel about the raise? Well, clearly, it didn’t seem like he was very impressed and played it off with a sarcastic joke.
“I immediately began contemplating a series of well-publicized drunken brawls in retirement homes or possibly leading cops on a destructive car chase just prior to my next contract negotiation.”
Of course, things would only get worse for Charlie, and he was out of the show. Charlie does have regrets, and would’ve handled certain moments differently looking back.
Looking Back, Charlie Sheen Regrets The Way He Handled His Final Days On Two And A Half Men
Sheen admits that certain moment should have been handled differently. One of them saw the head of CBS send a private jet to Sheen, in an attempt to get the actor into a rehab program. Once Sheen rejected the request, things were never the same again.
He revealed, “But if I could go back in time to that moment, I would’ve gotten on the jet. And it was that giant left turn in that moment that led to, you know, a very unfortunate sequence of public and insane events.”
“There was 55 different ways for me to handle that situation, and I chose number 56. And so, you know, I think the growth for me post-meltdown or melt forward or melt somewhere — however you want to label it — it has to start with absolute ownership of my role in all of it,” Sheen explains. “And it was desperately juvenile.”
Sheen would go on to admit that he wasn’t himself at the time. Nonetheless, Chuck Lorre also contemplated ending the show, but Ashton Kutcher was able to come in and given the sitcom a few extra seasons.
