Charlie Sheen has come a long way over the past 12 years. It was in 2011 that the iconic actor was fired from the cast of Two and a Half Men for his often-erratic and unpredictable behavior – which included unleashing a series of rants and controversial statements about one of the show’s creators, Chuck Lorre.
His substance abuse took center stage, and he fell into a downward spiral that lasted several years beyond the firing, but he decided to turn a new leaf in 2017 – when he decided to get sober. He has now been sober for six years and is working extensively to rebuild his reputation – as a man and as a father.
He has spent the past six years raising his twins, Max and Bob – who are 14 years old now – and is proud of what he calls a more ‘predictable routine’ compared to his earlier years. And while he has done a good job of staying out of the spotlight (and away from media headlines), the spotlight is calling again.
When that call came, Charlie Sheen was a little shocked to see who was on the other end of it – Chuck Lorre. Despite their rough back-and-forth more than a decade ago, Lorre was interested in repairing their relationship and invited him to appear in two episodes of his new show Bookie, streaming on Max now.
“Chuck reached out he said, ‘Hey, it’s time to bury the hatchet. It’s time for us to give each other a hug. And remember the great stuff that we did together,'” Sheen says in an interview with PEOPLE magazine. “Because we made a lot of people happy for a long time, and we left some really solid work behind us.”
Sheen agreed with Lorre and was ecstatic at the prospect of them coming together again – just like old times. He described it as ‘surreal’ and said they were both ‘beaming’ when they finally reunited in the studio parking lot – a moment no one thought would ever happen, especially out of the blue like this.
“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,” Sheen said, adding that it ‘feels like a sober acid trip’ – a quote he thinks ‘rings true for what I’m going through with this experience.’ It appears Charlie Sheen is officially back!
Charlie Sheen Isn’t the Only ‘Two and a Half Men’ Alum Reuniting With Chuck Lorre
While everyone’s excited about Charlie Sheen making his return to the acting world, many people are overlooking the fact that he’s not the only Two and a Half Men alum appearing in Chuck Lorre’s new show Bookie. Angus T. Jones, who played Jake Harper in the hit series, is also making a cameo appearance.
It actually goes deeper than that. In the show, Charlie Sheen and Angus T. Jones are playing a private poker game with some buddies. If you look closer, you’ll notice that the other people at the poker table are the same people who were at the table during a poker scene in Two and a Half Men 20+ years ago.
It’s just one of the ways Chuck Lorre is recreating the past with his new show – all while burying the hatchet with some talented actors he hasn’t worked with in a long time. And, while the honeymoon phase of this reunion will run dry at some point, Sheen is hoping it leads to more opportunities in the future.
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“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 really excited about being that guy again,” he told PEOPLE – adding that he’ll create an opportunity if one doesn’t arrive.