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 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. As of 2010, Sheen was the highest paid actor on television, earning $1.8 million per episode of Two and a Half Men.[1]
Sheen's personal life has also made headlines numerous times, due to marital problems and his various bouts with drug addiction. His role on Two and a Half Men was loosely based on this image, and his 2011 hospitalization and subsequent stint in rehab led to a production hiatus for the latter half of that show's eighth season.
Early life
Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estevez in New York City in 1965, the youngest son and third of four children born to actor Martin Sheen and artist Janet Templeton. Charlie took the same stage name as his father, who had adopted it in honor of the Catholic archbishop and theologian Fulton J. Sheen.[2] His parents moved to Malibu, California, after Martin Sheen's Broadway turn in The Subject Was Roses. Sheen has two brothers and one sister, all of whom are actors: Emilio Estevez, Ramon Estevez, and Renée Estevez. Sheen attended Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California, where he was a star pitcher and shortstop for the baseball team.[2][3] He also showed an early interest in acting, making several Super-8 films with his brother Emilio, schoolmates Rob and Chad Lowe, and early friend Chris Penn. Just a few weeks before graduation, Sheen was expelled from the school for poor grades and bad attendance.[4]
Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estevez in New York City in 1965, the youngest son and third of four children born to actor Martin Sheen and artist Janet Templeton. Charlie took the same stage name as his father, who had adopted it in honor of the Catholic archbishop and theologian Fulton J. Sheen.[2] His parents moved to Malibu, California, after Martin Sheen's Broadway turn in The Subject Was Roses. Sheen has two brothers and one sister, all of whom are actors: Emilio Estevez, Ramon Estevez, and Renée Estevez. Sheen attended Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California, where he was a star pitcher and shortstop for the baseball team.[2][3] He also showed an early interest in acting, making several Super-8 films with his brother Emilio, schoolmates Rob and Chad Lowe, and early friend Chris Penn. Just a few weeks before graduation, Sheen was expelled from the school for poor grades and bad attendance.[4]
Career
Sheen started acting in 1973 at the age of eight, appearing in a small role alongside his father in the television movie The Execution of Private Slovik. Sheen's film career began in 1984 with a role in the Cold War teen drama Red Dawn with Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, and Jennifer Grey. Sheen and Grey reunited in a small scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). He also appeared in an episode of the anthology series Amazing Stories. Sheen had his first major role in the Vietnam War drama Platoon(1986). In 1987, he starred with his father in Wall Street. Both Wall Street and Platoon were directed by Oliver Stone; however, in 1988, Stone approached Sheen about starring in his new film Born on the Fourth of July (1989), only to later re-cast Tom Cruise in place of Sheen. Sheen was never notified by Stone, and only found out when he heard the news from his brother Emilio. Sheen did not take a lead role in Stone's subsequent films,[5] although he does have a cameo role in Stone's sequel to Wall Street.
In 1987, Sheen was cast to portray Ron in the unreleased Grizzly II: The Predator, the sequel to the 1976 low budget horror movie Grizzly. In 1988, he starred in the baseball film Eight Men Out as outfielder Happy Felsch. Also in 1988, he appeared opposite his brother Emilio Estevez in Young Guns and again in 1990 in Men at Work. Also in 1990, he starred alongside his father Martin Sheen in Cadence as a rebellious inmate in a military stockade and Clint Eastwood in the buddy cop action film The Rookie.[2] 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 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.[6]
Sheen appeared in several comedy roles, including the Major League films, Money Talks, and the spoof Hot Shots! films. In 1999, Sheen appeared in a pilot for A&E Network, called Sugar Hill, which wasn't picked up. In 1999, Sheen played himself in Being John Malkovich. He also appeared in the spoof series Scary Movie 3 and follow up Scary Movie 4. In 2000, he was cast to replace Michael J. Fox on the sitcom Spin City;[7] the series ended in 2002. 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.[8] Sheen appears as Dex Dogtective in the unreleased Lionsgate animated comedyFoodfight.[6] The completion of that series' eighth season was placed on production hiatus following Sheen's January 2011 hospitalization and subsequent time in a drug rehabilitation center.[9]
Sheen also occasionally plays himself, such as in The Big Bang Theory episode, "The Griffin Equivalency".
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 non-profit's 25th Silver Anniversary Reception in 2009.[10] 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,[11] which raises around one-quarter of a million dollars[10] each year in Los Angeles for AIDS assistance.[12][13] He has brought other celebrities to support the event, including his father, actor Martin Sheen.[14] 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.[15][16]
Sheen also launched a clothing line for kids, called Sheen Kidz, in 2006.[17]
September 11 attacks
On March 20, 2006, Sheen stated that he questions the US government's account of the September 11 attacks.[18] Sheen said during the interview that the collapse of the World Trade Center towers looked like a controlled demolition.[19] He urged critics not to attack him personally, but to challenge him on the facts.[20]
Sheen has since become a prominent advocate of the 9/11 Truth movement.[21] On September 8, 2009, Sheen appealed to US 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 US President George W. Bush may have been responsible for the attacks.[22][23][24]
Personal life
Sheen and his then girlfriend, Paula Profit, had a daughter, Cassandra Jade Estevez (born December 12, 1984).[25] In 1990, Sheen accidentally shot his then-fiancee, Kelly Preston,[26] in the arm, after which she ended the relationship.[27] In 1995, Sheen married Donna Peele. He was named as one of many clients who visited brothels owned by Heidi Fleiss in her court case in 1995.[28] Sheen's long-term relationship with former pornographic actress Ginger Lynn in the late 1990s garnered much media attention.[26] He was also involved for a time with former pornographic actress Heather Hunter.[26]
On May 20, 1998, Sheen tried injecting cocaine, accidentally giving himself an overdose. He was hospitalized, but discharged from the hospital soon afterward. His father Martin issued a public appeal for fans to pray for him and reported him for violating his parole. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and Sheen was sent to rehab.[29][30]
On June 15, 2002, he married actress Denise Richards, two years after meeting her on the set of Good Advice. They have two daughters, Sam J. Sheen (born March 9, 2004)[31] and Lola Rose Sheen (born June 1, 2005).[32] In March 2005, while she was still pregnant with their daughter Lola, Richards filed for divorce from Sheen, accusing Sheen of abusing drugs and alcohol and threatening Richards with violence.[33] Sheen and Richards' divorce was made official on November 30, 2006.[34] Sheen and Richards were engaged in an acrimonious custody dispute over their two daughters,[35] but have since made peace with each other, with Sheen stating in April 2009 that "we had to do what's best for the girls."[36]
On May 30, 2008, Sheen married Brooke Mueller, a real estate investor.[37] This was the third marriage for Sheen and the first for Mueller.[38] The couple's twins, Bob and Max, were born on March 14, 2009.[39]
Sheen was arrested on charges of domestic violence, including second-degree assault and menacing, against Mueller on December 25, 2009 and the couple has not been seen together in public since this altercation.[40] He was released from jail after posting an $8,500 bond.[41][42] In a court appearance on February 8, 2010, Sheen was formally charged with felony menacing, and third-degree assault and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors.[43] On August 2, 2010, Charlie Sheen plead guilty to misdemeanor assault as part of a plea bargain where the other charges against him were dismissed, and according to a story written by Associated Press reporter Solomon Banda he was "sentenced to 30 days in a rehabilitation center, 30 days of probation, and 36 hours of anger management." As this conviction stemmed from a domestic violence charge made by his wife, Brooke Mueller, Sheen will fall under the Lautenberg Amendment, which means that he will be barred from possessing guns for the rest of his life.[44]
In February 2010, Sheen announced that he would take a break from Two and a Half Men to voluntarily enter a rehab facility. CBS expressed support.[45] The decision to check himself into the facility for treatment followed his wife's treatment in a different rehab facility. Sheen's rehabilitation was considered "preventive."[46] In March, Sheen's press representatives announced that he was preparing to leave rehab and return to work on the popular sitcom.[47] On May 18, 2010, Sheen signed an agreement to return to the sitcom for another two years for a reported $1.8 million per episode.[1]
During the early morning of October 26, 2010, the police removed Sheen from his suite at the Plaza Hotel after he had reportedly caused $7,000 in damage.[48] According to the NYPD, Sheen admitted to having been drinking and taking cocaine.[48] The woman with him had locked herself in the bathroom in fear.[48] Sheen was taken to a hospital for observation and released.[49]
On November 1, 2010, Sheen filed for divorce from his third wife, Brooke.[50]
Early in the morning of January 27, 2011, Sheen was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by paramedics who responded to a 9-1-1 call from Sheen's Beverly Hills home. Sheen's representative claimed the actor was suffering from "severe abdominal pains".[51]Several media sources reported that Sheen had been partying at the home with several porn stars for a number of days prior to the 9-1-1 call.[52] On January 28, 2011, it was announced that Sheen had voluntarily entered a rehabilitation center. In a statement,CBS announced that Two and a Half Men would go into an immediate hiatus as a result of Sheen's rehab stay.[53]
Awards and honors
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Charlie Sheen
In 1989, Sheen, and John Fusco, Christopher Cain, Lou Diamond Phillips, brother Emilio Estevez, and Kiefer Sutherland, were honored with a Bronze Wrangler for their work on the film Young Guns. In 1994, Sheen was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.[citation needed] For his work on the political sitcom Spin City, Sheen gained two ALMA Award nominations and won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy.[54] Sheen also won anALMA Award, gained three Emmy Award nominations, and two Golden Globe award nominations[54] for his role in the sitcom Two and a Half Men.
Charlie Sheen was rushed to Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles early Thursday morning.
Stan Rosenfield, Sheen's publicist, told ABCNews that the actor "was having severe abdominal pains and went to the hospital." There was no immediate information on his condition.
TMZ.com reported that Sheen was taken out of his home on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance at 7 a.m.
It is more bad news for the "Two and a Half Men Star," who has had to face questions about his career after what police described as an alcohol-fueled rampage at New York's famed Plaza Hotel last fall and highlypublicized marital problems with actress Denise Richards.
CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler told TV critics in Los Angeles earlier this month that there is "a high level of concern. How could we not? This man is a father. He's got children. He has a family. So obviously, there's concern on a personal level. But you can't look at it simplistically. Charlie is professional. He comes to work. He does his job extremely well. It's very complicated."
"It's always a little weird because like the stuff you hear is just unbelievable," said "Men" co-star Jon Cryer to Conan O'Brien Wednesday. "I mean like ... I'm checking TMZ, as I do every day, to know if I have to go to work at all."
TMZ was the first to report that a 911 call was placed from Sheen's home at 6:35 a.m. this morning. The gossip website reported later today that Sheen was having a "wild" party with five women before being taken to the hospital.
Sheen's ex-wife, Denise Richards, arrived at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the afternoon, according to Us Magazine.
"Thank you so much for you kind and supportive messages..it means a lot ...thank u...xo," the actress tweeted.
