- Charlie Sheen starred in Two and a Half Men
- He caused some controversy in the series
- This is how his series death was taken
Charlie Sheen, it turns out, can enjoy a laugh at his own expense. This includes when it's a morbid one, as was the case when he watched his character's death on Two and a Half Men in 2011.
The actor's Two and a Half Men exit saga came to an end when his character, "Charlie Harper," was killed off in the season 9 premiere episode, "Nice to Meet You, Walden Schmidt."
Sheen had been fired in 2010 after he publicly criticized show creator Chuck Lorre. His comments came following a pause in production of season 8 when the actor had entered rehab. The incident led to a high-profile war of words, which included the leak of a document on Sheen's alleged erratic behaviour on set. Nonetheless, Sheen eventually tuned in for the season 9 premiere, which was expected to address his departure.
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He keeps out of the spotlight...
Two and a Half Men: The death of "Charlie Harper"
On the night of Sept. 19, 2011, Sheen watched on as Two and a Half Men revealed the death of "Charlie Harper" in a Paris train accident. At the time, outlets reported accounts of his reactions to various parts of the episode.
In the episode, the friends, family, and many exes of "Charlie" showed up for his funeral, which he said was "eerie but fun." Friend Jeff Ross told THR that Sheen was also "genuinely thrilled" as former castmates Angus T. Jones and Holland Taylor nailed "zingers" in the episode.
Charlie Sheen on Ashton Kutcher in Two and a Half Men
The death episode is also memorable for the introduction scene of "Walden Schmidt" (Ashton Kutcher), which Sheen called "very f***ing morbid." It begins as "Alan" (Jon Cryer) jokes with "Charlie's" ashes in an urn, when "Walden's" sudden presence at the door frightens him. He throws the ashes in surprise, forming a cloud in front of "Walden."
"I thought it was the best intro for a new a character on a TV show of all time," Sheen was reported to have said. TMZ noted that Sheen enjoyed how Kutcher "was revealed through the dusty exploded smoke of my remains."
"They gave him a f***ing entrance like a movie," Ross recalled Sheen having said. Ross, who watched the episode at Sheen's house, described to THR his concluding reaction:
"As the episode's credits rolled away, I saw Charlie take a deep breath. He looked almost relieved. As if he secretly realized that this night was some sort of public punishment for his erratic and scary behavior over the past year. Perhaps it's even a small price to pay for all the fun he's had in his life."
Sheen never returned to Two and a Half Men, which wrapped up a few seasons later in 2015. The 2011 death episode was highly viewed due to the expectation of "Charlie Harper's" death, and the show ultimately received its best ratings in the Ashton Kutcher era — though fans were divided on the new character.
