Best Known As: The fast-living ex-star of the TV comedy Two and a Half Men
Name at birth: Carlos Irwin Estevez
Charlie Sheen is the son of actor Martin Sheen, and a star in his own right thanks to some high-profile 1980s movies and the long-running TV sitcom Two and a Half Men. After a few notable-young-man roles in films like Red Dawn (1984, starring Patrick Swayze) and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986, starring Matthew Broderick), Charlie Sheen emerged as a leading man in the Oliver Stone films Platoon (1986, starring Willem Dafoe) and Wall Street (1987, starring Michael Douglas). Since reaching stardom, though, Charlie Sheen's appearances in the tabloids have rivaled his appearances on the big screen; as played out in the gossip columns, Sheen's life has been a wild ride that included cocaine, high-priced prostitutes, an accidental shooting (in 1990 -- his then-girlfriend, Kelly Preston, was wounded) a long, bitter divorce battle with actress Denise Richards, and an arrest on felony charges related to alleged domestic violence with his third wife, Brooke Mueller, in Aspen, Colorado on Christmas Day 2009. All the while, Sheen has kept working in hits and misses that include dramas such as Eight Men Out (1988, with David Strathairn) and The Arrival (1996), and lowbrow comedies such as Hot Shots (1991) and Scary Movie 3 (2003). After a string of so-so performances and a much-publicized drug problem, Charlie Sheen made a comeback in the late 1990s, poking fun at himself in the film Being John Malkovich (1999, starring John Cusack) and replacing Michael J. Fox in the TV series Spin City. Sheen landed a major comedy series in 2003, co-starring with Jon Cryer in the sitcom Two and a Half Men, a hit that brought him Emmy nominations in 2006 and 2007. Sheen stayed with the show for eight successful years, but was fired by the show's producers on 7 March 2011 after he gave a series of bizarre interviews in which he announced "I am on a drug, it's called Charlie Sheen" and insulted the show's producers. He was replaced on the show by Ashton Kutcher.
Charlie Sheen's siblings, Emilio, Ramon and Renée Estevez, are also actors... Charlie Sheen, unlike his siblings, takes his surname from his father's stage name (Martin Sheen was born Ramon Estevez)... Sheen married Denise Richards in 2002 and they have two daughters; Richards filed for divorce in 2005... He has twin sons with Brooke Mueller, Max and Bob, born on 14 March 2009. Sheen and Mueller filed divorce papers in 2010... In 1997 Sheen narrated Mission to Mars, a documentary about the possibility of life on Mars; he also earned a writing credit.
Happy 40th birthday to Charlie Sheen! Born Carlos Estevez, the actor is known to TV viewers for his roles on Spin City and Two and a Half Men. His first major role was in the war drama, Platoon (1986). That was closely followed by his critically acclaimed turn in Wall Street (1987) in which he starred alongside his father, Martin Sheen. Charlie's three siblings, Emilio Estevez, Ramon Estevez Jr., and Renee Estevez, are all actors, as well.
A leading man who has displayed a knack for action, comedy, and dramatic roles, Charlie Sheen is nearly as well known for his offscreen exploits as for his acting, though after suffering through scandals that would have ended many performers' careers, he overcame bad press and bad habits to enjoy a major comeback on television in the late '90s. Charlie Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estevez to actor Martin Sheen (born Ramon Estevez) and his wife, Janet Templeton, in 1965. By all accounts, young Charlie wasn't an especially distinguished student; though he was a star on Santa Monica High School's baseball team, he was expelled due to poor attendance and bad grades only a few weeks before his class graduated. During his school days, Sheen developed an interest in filmmaking, making amateur Super-8 films starring his school friends (who included Rob Lowe and Sean Penn), and after leaving school, Sheen decided to take a stab at an acting career, like his father (and his older brother, Emilio Estevez). While Sheen played a bit part in one of his father's films, The Execution of Private Slovik, when he was nine, he began his screen career in earnest in 1984, playing Matt Eckhart in the Cold War thriller Red Dawn. (Earlier that same year, Sheen played a small role in a sequel to the horror film Grizzly which didn't see release until 1987; Grizzly 2: The Predator also featured a then-unknown George Clooney.) After good-sized roles in several made-for-TV movies and smaller roles in better-known feature films (including Lucas and Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Sheen got his big break in 1986 when he was cast as Chris, a soldier with conscience in Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning Vietnam drama Platoon. In 1987, Sheen starred in Stone's next project, Wall Street, and after establishing himself as a solid dramatic actor, Sheen proved he also had a flair for comedy in the 1989 hit Major League. The role also gave Sheen a chance to show off his pitching arm; a year earlier, Sheen got to play real-life center fielder Hap Felsch in John Sayles' drama about the 1919 "Chicago Black Sox" scandal, Eight Men Out. Sheen's next major success was also a comedy, the 1991 military-film satire Hot Shots, and while box-office blockbusters tended to elude him, Sheen worked steadily over the next several years, and racked up a respectable number of box-office successes.
By this time, Sheen had developed a reputation as a hard-living star who spoke his mind regardless of the consequences, but his fun-loving image began to take on a darker hue in the mid-'90s. In 1990, Sheen was engaged to marry actress Kelly Preston, but she left him shortly after an incident in which he accidentally shot her in the arm. In 1995, Sheen tied the knot with model Donna Peele, but the marriage ended in divorce only 14 months later. The same year he was wed, Sheen was called to testify in the trial of "Hollywood Madame" Heidi Fleiss, and admitted he was a frequent customer of Fleiss' call girl service, spending over 50,000 dollars on the services of prostitutes. In the wake of the Heidi Fleiss scandal, Sheen did himself no favors in terms of public relations by openly dating a pair of adult film actresses, Ginger Lynn Allen and Brittany Ashland; his relationship with Ashland came to an end when she filed assault charges against him. Sheen's bad-boy image turned especially grim in 1998, when he was hospitalized for drug and alcohol abuse; after a short-lived stay in rehab, Sheen gave sobriety another try, and by 1999 he was, by all accounts, clean and sober and ready to get his career back on track. In 1999, Sheen's brother, Emilio Estevez, cast him as real-life adult filmmaker Artie Mitchell in the made-for-cable feature Rated X -- a daring role, given Mitchell's drug abuse and sexual promiscuity -- and the following year, Sheen became Hollywood's comeback kid when he was cast in the leading role of the popular situation comedy Spin City after the departure of actor Michael J. Fox. In 2002, a clean, sober, and successful Sheen made headlines once again with his love life, though this time in a positive manner: He announced his engagement to actress Denise Richards; alas, a lengthy marriage was not to be, and the couple divorced after four years. Beginning in 2003, Sheen signed for an ongoing role opposite Jon Cryer and Melanie Lynskey on the popular situation comedy Two and a Half Men.
The show became a massive success, running until 2011. In the meantime, Sheen married Brooke Mueller in 2008, with whom he had twin boys, Bob and Max. The marriage was short, ending in 2010 amid rumors of rampant drug use and partying, an arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, and brief stints in rehab - culminating in a 2010 incident in which Sheen was removed from the Plaza hotel after causing $7,000 worth of damage to a hotel room, allegedly following an altercation with a prostitute. Even grander spectacles were soon to come, as disagreements with producers of Two and a Half Men in 2011 led to Sheen making what sounded like near manic public statements, nominally defending his demands for a 50% raise for his work on the show. He gave a series of interviews in which he disclosed that he lived with two girlfriends, who he called his "goddesses," graphic designer Natalie Kenly and porn star Bree Olsen. He also infamously described himself as "winning" (presumably at life), as well as having "tiger's blood," and being a "bitchin' rock star from Mars."
The media explosion following Sheens' statements led to rampant speculation that he was in the throes of drug addiction. Sheen capitalized on the attention, however, embarking on a stand-up/performance tour titled "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option." Two and a Half Men was officially cancelled in March of 2011, but Sheen continued to reach out to the public through internet videos available on UStream titled Torpedoes of Truth.
In addition to his career as an actor, Sheen has also dabbled in production; he produced two of his films, Comicitis and The Chase, before forming a production company with rock singer Bret Michaels. Sheen also wrote the screenplay for the company's first release, No Code of Conduct. In addition, Sheen published a book of his poetry, A Peace of My Mind. ~ Rovi
Carlos Irwin Estevez (born September 3, 1965), better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen.
His character roles in films have included Chris Taylor in the 1986 Vietnam War drama Platoon, Jake Kesey in the 1986 film The Wraith, and Bud Fox in the 1987 film Wall Street. His career has also included more comedic films such as Major League, the Hot Shots! films, and Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4. On television, Sheen is known for his roles on two sitcoms: as Charlie Crawford on Spin City and as Charlie Harper on Two and a Half Men. In 2010, Sheen was the highest paid actor on television, earning US$1.8 million per episode of Two and a Half Men.[2]
Sheen's personal life has also made headlines, including reports about alcohol and drug abuse and marital problems as well as allegations of domestic violence. He was fired from his role on Two and a Half Men by CBS and Warner Bros. on March 7, 2011. Sheen subsequently announced a nationwide tour.[3]
Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estevez in New York City, the youngest son and third of four children of actor Martin Sheen and artist Janet Templeton.[4] His paternal grandparents were immigrants from Galicia (northwestern Spain) and Ireland.[5] Sheen has two older brothers, Emilio Estevez and Ramon Estevez, and a younger sister, Renée Estevez, all actors. His parents moved to Malibu, California, after Martin's Broadway turn in The Subject Was Roses. His first movie appearance was at age nine in his father’s 1974 film The Execution of Private Slovik. Sheen attended Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California, where he was a star pitcher and shortstop for the baseball team.[4][6]
At Santa Monica High School, he showed an early interest in acting, making amateur Super 8 films with his brother Emilio and school friends Rob Lowe and Sean Penn under his birth name. A few weeks before graduation, Sheen was expelled from school for poor grades and attendance. Deciding to become an actor, he took the stage name Charlie Sheen. His father had adopted it in honor of the Catholic archbishop and theologian Fulton J. Sheen.[7][8]
In 1990, he starred alongside his father in Cadence as a rebellious inmate in a military stockade and with Clint Eastwood in the buddy cop action film The Rookie.[4] The films were directed by Martin Sheen and Eastwood, respectively. In 1992, he starred in Beyond the Law with Linda Fiorentino and Michael Madsen. In 1994, Sheen was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[10] In 1997, Sheen wrote his first movie, Discovery Mars, a direct-to-video documentary revolving around the question, "Is There Life on Mars?". The next year, Sheen wrote, produced and starred in the action movie No Code of Conduct.[11]
In 2003, Sheen was cast as Charlie Harper in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, which followed the popular Monday night time slot of Everybody Loves Raymond. Sheen's role on Two and a Half Men was loosely based on Sheen's bad boy image.[15] The role garnered him an ALMA Award and he gained three Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe award nominations.[13] During his eighth and final season on the show, Sheen earned a record $1.8 million per episode.[2]
Warner Bros. dismissal
In January 2011, production of Two and a Half Men went on hiatus while Sheen underwent a substance rehabilitation program in his home, his third attempt at rehab in twelve months.[16][17][18] The following month, however, CBS canceled the season's four remaining episodes after Sheen publicly made derogatory comments about the series' creator, Chuck Lorre,[19] and Warner Bros. officially banned Sheen from entering its production lot.[20] Sheen, already the highest-paid actor on television,[2] responded by publicly demanding a 50 percent raise,[21] claiming that in comparison to the amount that the series was making, he was "underpaid."[21]
CBS and Warner Bros. fired Sheen from Two and a Half Men on March 7, 2011.[22] He was replaced by Ashton Kutcher.[23][24] In the aftermath of his dismissal, Sheen remained vocally critical of Chuck Lorre,[25] and filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Lorre and Warner Bros., which was settled the following September 26.[26] That same month, Sheen, while presenting an award at the Primetime Emmy Awards, addressed "everybody here from Two and a Half Men" and stated, "From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television."[27]
Other
On September 19, 2011, Sheen was roasted on Comedy Central. It was watched by 6.4 million people, making it the highest rated roast on Comedy Central to date.[28]
Other ventures
In 2006, Sheen launched a clothing line for kids, called Sheen Kidz.[29]
In 2011, Sheen set a new Guinness World Record for Twitter as the "Fastest Time to Reach 1 Million Followers" (adding an average of 129,000 new followers per day[30]) as well as the Guinness record for "Highest Paid TV Actor Per Episode – Current" at $1.25 million while he was a part of the cast of Two and a Half Men sitcom.[31] On March 3, 2011, Charlie Sheen signed with Ad.ly marketing agency specializing in Twitter and Facebook promotions.[32][33]
The theater where "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option" took place.
On March 10, 2011, Sheen announced a nationwide tour, "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option", which began in Detroit on April 2.[34] The tour sold out in 18 minutes, a Ticketmaster record.[35] However, on April 1, 2011 the Detroit Free Press featured an article that stated as of March 30 that there were over 1000 tickets available from a third-party reseller, some at 15% less than the cheapest seats sold at the Fox Theater.[36]The Huffington Post reports Sheen will earn $1 million this year from Twitter endorsements and $7 million from the North American tour.[37] Many of those attending the April 2 performance in Detroit found it disappointing;[38] the subsequent performance in Chicago, which featured some adjustments, received a more positive reception.[39]
Sheen has taken up a new business venture as a partner in a line of electronic cigarettes. The "NicoSheen" product will feature the actor's signature smirk on packages of disposable E-cigarettes and related products.[40]
On August 13, 2011, Sheen appeared as a host at the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos. He received a mixed reaction from the audience. Some cheered him, and some booed and threw things at him.[41]
Personal life
Family and relationships
Sheen has been married three times and has five children. His first daughter, Cassandra Jade Estevez (b. December 12, 1984) was born to his former high school girlfriend, Paula Profit.[42][43]
In 1990, Sheen accidentally shot his fiancee, Kelly Preston, in the arm.[44] Preston broke off the engagement soon after.[45]
On September 3, 1995,[48] Sheen married Donna Peele.[49] That same year, Sheen was named as one of the clients of an escort agency operated by Heidi Fleiss.[50] Sheen and Peele divorced in 1996.[4]
On June 15, 2002, two years after they met on the set of the movie Good Advice, Sheen married actress Denise Richards. They have two daughters, Sam [51] and Lola Sheen.[52] In March 2005, Richards filed for divorce, accusing Sheen of alcohol and drug abuse and threats of violence.[53] The divorce was finalized in November 2006 and preceded a custody dispute over their two daughters.[54][55][56]
On May 30, 2008, Sheen married Brooke Mueller, who later gave birth to their twin sons, Bob and Max.[57][58][59] In November 2010, Sheen filed for divorce. On March 1, 2011, police removed Bob and Max from Sheen's home. Sheen told NBC's Today, "I stayed very calm and focused."[60] According to People, social services took the children after Mueller obtained a restraining order against Sheen. The document said, "I am very concerned that [Sheen] is currently insane."[61] Asked if he would fight for the children, Sheen textedPeople, "Born ready. Winning."[61] Sheen and Mueller's divorce became final on May 2, 2011.[1][62][63]
On March 1, 2011, Sheen was concurrently living with pornographic actress Rachel Oberlin and model and graphic designer Natalie Kenly, whom he collectively nicknamed his "goddesses".[64][65][66][67][68] Oberlin left Sheen in April 2011, and Kenly left in June 2011.[69][70]
Substance abuse and legal issues
On May 20, 1998, Sheen overdosed while using cocaine and was hospitalized. On August 11, 1998, Sheen, already on probation for a previous drug offense, had his probation extended for an extra year and entered a rehab clinic.[71][72] In a 2004 interview, Sheen admitted that the overdose was caused by his experimentation with injecting cocaine.[73]
On December 25, 2009, Sheen was arrested for assaulting his wife, Brooke Mueller. He was released the same day from jail after posting an $8,500 bond.[74][75] Sheen was charged with felony menacing, as well as third-degree assault and criminal mischief.[76] On August 2, 2010, Sheen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault as part of a plea bargain that included dismissal of the other charges against him. Sheen was sentenced to 30 days in a drug rehab center, 30 days of probation, and 36 hours of anger management.[77]
On October 26, 2010, the police removed Sheen from his suite at the Plaza Hotel after he reportedly caused $7,000 in damage.[78] According to the NYPD, Sheen admitted to drinking and using cocaine the night of the incident.[78] He was released after entering a hospital for observation.[79]
Political views and activities
Charitable activities
Sheen was the 2004 spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day breast cancer fundraiser that raised millions of dollars for research and education regarding the disease. Sheen stated that a friend of his died from breast cancer, and he wanted to try to help find a cure for the disease.
A major donor and supporter of Aid For AIDS since 2006, Sheen was honored with an AFA Angel Award, one of only a few ever given, at the nonprofit's 25th Silver Anniversary Reception in 2009.[80] In addition to his financial support, he has volunteered to act as a celebrity judge for several years for their annual fundraiser, Best In Drag Show,[81] which raises around a quarter of a million dollars[80] each year in Los Angeles for AIDS assistance.[82][83] He has brought other celebrities to support the event, including his father, actor Martin Sheen.[84] Sheen's interest in AIDS was first reported in 1987 with his support of Ryan White, an Indiana teenager who became a national spokesperson for AIDS awareness after being infected with AIDS through a blood transfusion for his hemophilia.[85][86]
Sheen is donating one dollar from each ticket sold from his “My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option Show” 2011 tour to the Red CrossJapanese Earthquake Relief Fund.[35]
In 2011, Sheen took on a Twitter challenge by a grieving mother to help critically ill babies born with Congenital diaphragmatic hernia by supporting CHERUBS – The Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research, Awareness and Support.[88]
Sheen has since become a prominent advocate of the 9/11 Truth movement.[92] On September 8, 2009, he appealed to President Barack Obama to set up a new investigation into the attacks. Presenting his views as a transcript of a fictional encounter with Obama, he was characterized by the press as believing the 9/11 Commission was a whitewash and that the administration of former President George W. Bush may have been responsible for the attacks.[93][94]
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