On the heels of news that they are collaborating again, Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre opens up about reuniting with Charlie Sheen following their falling out. The pair first worked together in 2003 when the show premiered; Lorre was producing while Sheen played one of its leads, Charlie Harper. Despite its success, Sheen's increasingly erratic behavior led to his firing. Twelve years after their public feud, Lorre and Sheen are reuniting for a new project.
Sheen is confirmed to star in How To Be A Bookie, written by Lorre and Nick Baka for Max. Details about Sheen's role are currently scant, but he is expected to have a recurring role. Lorre tells The Messenger that they have already shot the show, and he sounds nothing but happy to be reuniting with his former sitcom star. Read his full quote below:
We shot it. It's done. We wrapped in March. I'm hopeful that it will be on Max.
For the first eight years of Two and a Half Men, Sheen brilliantly played Charlie opposite Jon Cryer. Thanks to the show's popularity, Sheen was one of the highest-paid actors on TV at that time. Unfortunately, his substance abuse issues caught up to him, and he entered rehab in the middle of season 8's filming.
Just before principal photography re-started, Sheen went on the radio to publicly disparage Lorre. He called him several insults as part of his bizarre rant. Months after this, Warner Bros. Television opted to fire Sheen from Two and a Half Men, effectively ending season 8 of the series.
By the time it resumed for season 9, it was revealed that Charlie had died after falling into the subway tracks in Paris. The character made a surprising return in the series finale, but after Sheen refused to reprise the role, the CBS sitcom used a body double instead.
Both Sheen and Lorre subsequently expressed regret over their falling out. Lorre said that in retrospect, he would have handled the difficult situation differently. Sheen, on the other hand, attributed his behavior to his drug addiction. Despite their ugly past while working together in Two and a Half Men, however, it seems like all's finally well with the pair.