As Anger Management Launches, Charlie Sheen Makes Peace with Two and a Half Men
As his new show prepares to debut, Charlie Sheen is getting nostalgic for his old one. Sheen, who helped pick 24 episodes of Two and a Half Men for FX to air as a 12-hour marathon leading up to the launch of Anger Management on Thursday, is even feeling charitable towards his ex-boss.
Holding court in a small corner at an FX party celebrating its comedy lineup on Tuesday night, Sheen said he was appreciative of Two and a Half Men executive producer Chuck Lorre (whom he vilified in the media last year) and the "dream life" he was able to achieve because of the show. "Thank you, Chuck," Sheen says. "Forget all that. He's a genius. Thank you, Chuck, we did the right thing. Seriously, dude."
As for the new incarnation of Two and a Half Men, Sheen says "the old show is doing the best they can. They lost their anchor. It's not an insult, it's just, c'mon guys, get it together, you can still win, you know?"
Sheen says stepping back in front of the camera for Anger Management was "bitchin'. So cool and it was like, I was where I belong. My kids showed up to watch me, and there I was showing off."
The star says he's proud of the show, which launches on June 28 with two back-to-back episodes at 9/8c and 9:30/8:30c. "I'm out of my mind excited, man," he says. "Here's the good news. It's total hype, but at the end of the day, what do we got? We got what people want."
Under the show's business model, 10 episodes of Anger Management were shot, and if it hits a certain ratings threshold, another 90 will go into production by late August. "It just feels right," Sheen says. "That thing [his Two and a Half Men exit] ended in such a stupid way, mostly on me. It got icky because of me. I was an idiot. They're doing the best they can and I'm doing the best I can over here."
Sheen says he's particularly proud of his character's depiction on Anger Management as the father of a young girl. He also continues to enthuse about his relationship with sitcom veteran Bruce Helford, who executive produces. Sheen, who last year fumed over what he felt was a lack of input on Men, says he's able to "contribute, on all fronts," on Anger Management. "He's the brightest showrunner alive. He's smart and he's got integrity."
