Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre has admitted witnessing Charlie Sheen’s downward spiral was “heartbreaking”.
Chuck Lorre has admitted witnessing Charlie Sheen’s downward spiral was “heartbreaking”.
The producer saw his relationship with his Two and a Half Men lead deteriorate before the actor was sacked from the show in 2011 amid his struggles with drug addiction, and the so-called King of Sitcoms admitted working with Charlie became a “nightmare”.
Asked about his breaking point with Charlie, he told Extra: “Drugs and alcohol. It’s really not complicated.
“There was a point where it was really difficult for Charlie to get through the day. The plug had to be pulled. It was just becoming untenable.
“It was heartbreaking. He was a friend. We worked together for almost eight years before this all went to hell and I was a fan. I was a fan. He’s Charlie Sheen. He’s a cool guy. It was a privilege and then it became a nightmare.”
Chuck is pleased he and Charlie are back on good terms now.
He said: “I’m happy to say it’s a privilege again. You know, we reconciled.”
The Big Bang Theory creator made the first move to reconcile with the 61-year-old star.
He said: “I reached out to him. I was doing a show called ‘Bookie’ with Sebastian Maniscalco, and I called him and he was terrific. He was gracious and grateful and we had a blast.”
Chuck recently released his autobiography, Sitcom, and Charlie wrote a “hilarious” blurb for the back of the book.
The producer quipped: “When it comes to making sitcoms and life in general, always bet on the guy who’s not hammered on crack.”
The Mom creator discussed his own addiction battles in the book and admitted his experiences have informed his writing.
He said: “I do like to tell stories that somehow have some sense of hope in them that, you know, characters trying to be better but not necessarily getting there.
“That’s really what the whole recovery story is in ‘Mom,’ these women trying, helping one another to get through the day and have a decent life. There’s comedy is in the effort, because none of us are particularly good at it.”
Chuck found telling his story in the book to be very helpful.
He said: “This was therapy for me. It’s a chance to look back and look at this very strange journey to where I am now.”
Chuck Lorre found Charlie Sheen’s downward spiral was ‘heartbreaking’
