Charlie Sheen created one of the all-time great TV hedonists with his iconic role as Charlie Harper in “Two and a Half Men.” Sadly for Charlie, he didn’t have to do too much acting for that part, as his own life mirrored many of the character’s hedonistic ways. That would have been fine, except that the real life Charlie was much crazier and never knew when to stop. Charlie Harper was hilarious, with his main vice being booze. Charlie Sheen pushed into hard drups, which led to disastrous results.
This video sums it up nicely. The life of Charlie Sheen is a cautionary tale, and while many of us appreciate the perks of a hedonist lifestyle, we should learn the lesson of never going full Charlie Sheen.
It’s ashame because Charlie had real talent. Maybe he didn’t have to stretch to play Charlie Harper, but he absolutely nailed that role and created an unforgettable character. Of course he had the benefit of being the son of Martin Sheen and the younger brother of Emilio Estevez, but he had the talent, screen presence and good looks to make it as a movie star.
Charlie had starring roles in some of the best films of the 80s, starring in “Platoon” and “Wall Street,” both directed by Oliver Stone. In 1989 he showed off his comedy chops in “Major League.” where his iconic portrayal of pitcher Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn became a cultural touchstone.
His move to television started with taking over for ailing Michael J. Fox on “Spin City” (2000–2002), playing Deputy Mayor Charlie Crawford and winning a Golden Globe award. Then came Charlie Harper, and Charlie became the highest paid star in televsion history.
The good news is that Charlie has now been sober for a while, and he told his life story in a wild and captivating Netflix documentary called “aka Charlie Sheen.” It’s definitely worth a watch.