‘Two and A Half Men’ has been regarded as one of the best comedy sitcoms on television.Chuck Lorre aka the “King of Sitcoms” wrote a series about a rich jingle writer living a luxurious life. The show revolved around Charlie Harper’s (Charlie Sheen) character who was selfish, arrogant, a womanizer, and lived a carefree life. To compensate for the character’s flaws, the writers threw in Alan, his uptight brother, and his nephew Jake. The two joined Harper in his Malibu beach house and several moments of comedy transpired. The sitcom is one of CBS network’s most popular shows but has been full of controversy.
Why was the character of Charlie killed in Two and a Half Men?
Highlights —
- Why did Chuck Lorre fire Charlie Sheen?
- How did Charlie Harper die?
- Are Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen friends now?
Charlie Sheen’s charm had captured the attention of viewers up until the eighth season, but it only lasted until he was fired. The actor was replaced by Ashton Kutcher who took on the role of Walden Schmidt, a billionaire who buys Harper’s house. Chuck Lorre killed Sheen’s character in the series, in a finale full of insults. Keep reading to find out how and why Charlie Harper met with his inevitable end.
Why did Chuck Lorre fire Charlie Sheen?
Charlie Sheen had a pattern of inappropriate behaviour during his time on ‘Two and a Half Men’. After the eighth season, unable to put up with his tactics anymore, the actor was fired by the show’s producers. The controversy began when the actors’ rehabilitation program forced the show into a production hiatus.
His self-destructive behaviour caused him to default on his contract. He was unable to dedicate his time to the show and even admitted to drug use. Charlie Sheen’s media rants knew no end, the actor incessantly made derogatory comments about the show and Chuck Lorre!
Sheen refused to return for a new season and announced that he would return only if Chuck Lorre wasn’t involved. A fitting reply arrived from the ‘Two and a Half Men’ producers when they terminated Sheen’s contract and replaced him.
How did Charlie Harper die?
In retaliation to the trouble caused by Charlie Sheen’s action off-screen, the show’s producers and writers killed off his character! The sitcom’s finale was a dig at him, and included jokes about drug use, and hinted at the actor’s scandals. At first, the season 9 premiere saw Harper die after getting hit by a train, a set up to introduce Kutcher as his replacement. In the series finale, however, it turns out that Charlie Harper had been alive through the years. He was being held as a prisoner for four years, in the basement of an obsessive lover.
Charlie Sheen never once appeared in the episode but, instead, viewers were presented with a lookalike. The Sheen look-alike maintains his back to the camera throughout the episode when suddenly a giant piano falls and crushes him. The scene then dramatically shifts to Chuck Lorre who says “winning“, a catchphrase Sheen used during his interviews.
Are Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen friends now?
Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen’s longstanding feud has made fans wonder if they have resolved their differences. According to a report posted by the “Daily Mail”, Sheen confessed that he wants to mend things with Chuck Lorre.
The star said,
“I haven’t in person. It is a thing I really want to mend. And he lives close by, I could easily go by and just drop a note under his door with my phone number, which I should, and I will”.
Charlie Sheen originally took responsibility for their fall out, admitting,
“I kind of poisoned the waters and I take responsibility for all of that”. He added, “You know I was really stupid and juvenile and uh, (Chuck is) one of the best and the brightest that this industry has ever had the pleasure of witnessing”.
Charlie Sheen seems to be a changed man since he commented on his former colleague, but there’s been no update on their friendship since. Charlie Sheen was the soul of the series, but Ashton Kutcher was just as charming. Do you agree? Let us know in the comments!
Charlie Harper is dead.
After months of speculation, it was revealed in Monday night’s season premiere of Two and a Half Men that the character, previously played by Charlie Sheen, was killed after being hit by a subway train.
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Sheen, who was fired in March after going on a public rant against his bosses, did not appear in the episode, but the characters explained that he was hit with a subway train.
“His body just exploded like a balloon full of meat,” Rose (Melanie Lynskey), Charlie Harper’s obsessed neighbor, said. It turns out Rose and Charlie ran away to Paris to get married, and she caught him with another woman. Naturally, she pushed him in front of a train after learning this news.
PHOTO: Charlie Sheen, Ashton Kutcher Bond Backstage at Emmys
The episode began with a funeral scene in which Jon Cryer’s character, Alan Harper, said that it was a sad day for everyone.
“Speak for yourself,” one woman shouted from the audience.
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Meanwhile, Ashton Kutcher, who joined the show in May, made his debut on the show as Internet billionaire Walden Schmidt.
PHOTOS: Ashton Kutcher’s Career Through the Years
The character first appeared at the doorway of Harper’s former home, which he shared with Alan, wet from a suicide attempt in the ocean after getting his heart broken.
STORY: Ashton Kutcher Mocks Charlie Sheen on Emmys Stage
Alan then takes Walden out for a drink, where the latter meets two women and brings to Harper’s home.
“I dig your house,” he said. “I’m going to buy it.”
VIDEO: Charlie Sheen Roast: 10 Things Seen and Heard at the Comedy Central Event
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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.
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.
Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men.
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.