Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He is known as a
leading man
A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...
in film and television. Sheen has received numerous accolades including a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
as well as nominations for four
Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
and three
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
. In 1994, he received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
.
Charlie Sheen followed in the footsteps of his father
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. His work spans over six decades of television and film, and his accolades include three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and ...
in becoming an actor. He starred in many successful films such as ''
Red Dawn
''Red Dawn'' is a 1984 American action drama film directed by John Milius, from a screenplay co-written with Kevin Reynolds. The film depicts a fictional World War III centering on a military invasion of the United States by an alliance of ...
'' (1984), ''
Platoon
A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
'' (1986), ''
Wall Street
Wall Street is a street in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs eight city blocks between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the west and South Street (Manhattan), South Str ...
'' (1987), ''
Eight Men Out'' (1988), ''
Young Guns'' (1988), ''
The Rookie'' (1990), ''
The Three Musketeers
''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...
'' (1993), and ''
The Arrival'' (1996). In the 2000s, when Sheen replaced
Michael J. Fox
Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ...
as the star of
ABC's ''
Spin City'', his portrayal of Charlie Crawford earned him a
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He then starred as Charlie Harper on the
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
sitcom ''
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn that aired on CBS for 12 seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonis ...
'' (2003–11), for which he received many
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
and
Primetime Emmy nominations. As Dr. Charles "Charlie" Goodson on the
FX series ''
Anger Management
Anger management is a psycho-therapeutic program for anger prevention and control. It has been described as deploying anger successfully.Schwarts, Gil. July 2006. Anger Management', July 2006 The Office Politic. Men's Health magazine. Emmaus, PA: ...
'' (2012–14). In 2010, Sheen was the
highest-paid actor on television, earning US$1.8 million per episode of ''Two and a Half Men''.
In March 2011, Sheen was terminated from his ''Two and a Half Men'' contract by
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
and
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
following public substance-abuse problems, marital difficulties and comments made towards the series' creator,
Chuck Lorre
Charles Michael Lorre ( ; né Levine; born October 18, 1952) is an American television producer, writer, director, and composer. Nicknamed the "King of Sitcoms", Lorre has created/co-created and produced many sitcoms including '' Cybill'' (199 ...
.
In 2015, Sheen publicly revealed that he was
HIV positive
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of th ...
, which led to an increase in HIV prevention and testing which was dubbed the "Charlie Sheen effect".
Post-''Two and a Half Men'', he starred in the films ''
Machete Kills'' (2013) and ''
9/11
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
'' (2017), and had a recurring role on Lorre's
Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
series ''
Bookie'' (2023–2024).
Early life
Carlos Irwin Estévez was born on September 3, 1965, in New York City, the youngest son of actor
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. His work spans over six decades of television and film, and his accolades include three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and ...
(whose real name is Ramón Estévez) and artist
Janet Templeton.
[Stated in interview on '' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2007] His paternal grandparents were emigrants from
Galicia (Spain) and Ireland, respectively. Sheen said in 2011 that his father was
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
and his mother was
Southern Baptist
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestantism in the United States, Pr ...
.
He has two older brothers,
Emilio and
Ramon, and a younger sister,
Renée, all actors. His parents moved to
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; ; ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, about west of downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate, its strip of beaches stretching along the Pacific Ocean coa ...
, after Martin's
Broadway run in ''
The Subject Was Roses''. Sheen's first movie appearance was at age nine in his father's 1974 film ''
The Execution of Private Slovik''. Sheen attended
Santa Monica High School
Santa Monica High School, officially abbreviated to Samohi or SMHS, is a public high school in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1891, it changed location several times in its early years before settling into its present campus at 601 Pico Bo ...
in
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
, along with
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965), also known as RDJ, is an American actor. One of the highest-grossing actors of all time, his films as a leading actor have grossed over $14 billion worldwide. In 2008, Downey was named by ''Time ...
, where he was a star pitcher and shortstop for the baseball team.
At Santa Monica High School, he showed an early interest in acting, making amateur
Super 8 film
Super 8 mm film is a motion-picture film format released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak as an improvement over the older "Double" or "Regular" 8 mm home movie format. The formal name for Super 8 is 8-mm Type S, distinguishing it from the ...
s with his brother Emilio and school friends
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler Lowe (born March 17, 1964) is an American actor, filmmaker, and entertainment host. Following numerous television roles in the early 1980s, he came to prominence as a teen idol and member of the Brat Pack with starring roles in ...
and
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his intense leading man roles in film. List of awards and nominations received by Sean Penn, His accolades include two Academy Awards, a Golden Gl ...
under his birth name. A few weeks before his scheduled graduation from Santa Monica High School, Sheen was expelled from school for poor grades and attendance. He then chose to become an actor, and adopted the stage name Charlie Sheen. His father had adopted the surname Sheen in honor of the
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
and theologian
Fulton J. Sheen, and Charlie was an English form of his given name Carlos.
Career

1983–1999: Breakthrough and stardom
Sheen's film career began in 1983, when he was cast to portray Ron in ''
Grizzly II: The Predator'', the sequel to the 1976 low-budget horror movie ''
Grizzly
The grizzly bear (''Ursus arctos horribilis''), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America.
In addition to the mainland grizzly (''Ursus arctos horr ...
'', which remained unreleased until 2020. In 1984, he had a role in the Cold War teen drama ''
Red Dawn
''Red Dawn'' is a 1984 American action drama film directed by John Milius, from a screenplay co-written with Kevin Reynolds. The film depicts a fictional World War III centering on a military invasion of the United States by an alliance of ...
'' with
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze ( ; August 18, 1952 – September 14, 2009) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and dancer. Known for his romantic, tough, and comedic roles in blockbusters and cult films, Swayze was nominated for three Golden Glob ...
,
C. Thomas Howell,
Lea Thompson, and
Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Grey (born March 26, 1960) is an American actress. She made her acting debut with the film Reckless (1984 film), ''Reckless'' (1984), and had her breakthrough with the teen comedy film ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986). She earned wo ...
.
Sheen and Grey reunited in a small scene in ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' is a 1986 American Teen film, teen comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes (filmmaker), John Hughes. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck, with supporting roles from Jenn ...
'' (1986). He also appeared in an episode of the
anthology series
An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...
''
Amazing Stories
''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearance ...
''. Sheen had his first major role in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
drama ''
Platoon
A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
'' (1986).
In 1987, he starred with his father in ''
Wall Street
Wall Street is a street in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs eight city blocks between Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the west and South Street (Manhattan), South Str ...
'' in which he played the role of Bud Fox, a young and ambitious stockbroker. Both ''Wall Street'' and ''Platoon'' were directed by
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...
. In 1988, Stone asked Sheen to star in his new film ''
Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989) but later cast
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...
instead. Sheen was never notified by Stone, and he only found out when he heard the news from his brother Emilio. Sheen did not take a lead role in Stone's subsequent films, although he did have a cameo role in ''
Money Never Sleeps''.
In 1988, he starred in the baseball film ''
Eight Men Out'' as outfielder
Happy Felsch. Also in 1988, he appeared opposite his brother Emilio in ''
Young Guns'' and again in 1990 in ''
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band that was formed in Melbourne, 1979. They were best known for breakthrough hits such as " Down Under", " Who Can It Be Now?", " Be Good Johnny", " Overkill", and " It's a Mistake". Its founding member and ...
''. In 1989, Sheen,
John Fusco,
Christopher Cain
Christopher Cain (born October 29, 1943) is an American director, screenwriter, and producer.
Cain was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In 1969, he married Sharon Thomas, and adopted her two sons, Roger and Dean Cain, Dean. The couple's daug ...
,
Lou Diamond Phillips, Emilio Estévez and
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born 21 December 1966) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his starring role as Jack Bauer in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox drama series ''24 (TV series), 24'' (2001–2010, 20 ...
were honored with a
Bronze Wrangler for their work on the film ''Young Guns''.
In 1990, he starred alongside his father in ''
Cadence
In Classical music, Western musical theory, a cadence () is the end of a Phrase (music), phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution (music), resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards.Don ...
'' as a rebellious inmate in a military stockade and with
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
in the
buddy cop film
Buddy cop is a film and television genre with plots involving two people of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime and/or defeat criminals, sometimes learning from each other in the process. ...
''
The Rookie''.
The films were directed by Sheen and Eastwood, respectively. In 1992, he featured in ''
Beyond the Law'' with
Linda Fiorentino and
Michael Madsen
Michael Madsen (born September 25, 1957) is an American actor. Alongside his frequent collaborations with Quentin Tarantino—''Reservoir Dogs'' (1992), ''Kill Bill: Volume 2'' (2004), ''The Hateful Eight'' (2015), and ''Once Upon a Time in Hol ...
. In 1994, Sheen was given a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
.
In 1997, Sheen wrote his first movie, ''Discovery Mars'', a
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
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''.
Sheen appeared in several comedy roles, including the ''
Major League'' films, ''
Money Talks'', and the spoof ''
Hot Shots!
''Hot Shots!'' is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Jim Abrahams, co-writer and co-director of ''Airplane!'', and written by Abrahams and Pat Proft. It stars Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges, Jon Cryer, Kevin ...
'' films. Sheen has also done voices for animation, appearing as Charlie in ''
All Dogs Go To Heaven 2'' (1996), replacing
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. He became well known in television series such as ''Gunsmoke'' (1962–1965), '' Hawk'' (1966) and '' Dan Augus ...
. In 1999, Sheen appeared in a sitcom pilot for
ABC, called ''Sugar Hill'', which was not picked up. In 1999, Sheen played himself in ''
Being John Malkovich
''Being John Malkovich'' is a 1999 American surrealist fantasy comedy drama film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, both making their feature film debut. The film stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener, wit ...
''.
2000–2011: Sitcom roles

In 2000, Sheen debuted on the small screen when he replaced
Michael J. Fox
Michael Andrew Fox (born June 9, 1961), known professionally as Michael J. Fox, is a Canadian and American actor and activist. Beginning his career as a child actor in the 1970s, he rose to prominence portraying Alex P. Keaton on the NBC sitcom ...
for the last two seasons of the sitcom ''
Spin City''. For his work on ''Spin City'', Sheen was nominated for two
ALMA Award
The American Latino Media Arts Award or ALMA Award, formerly known as Latin Oscars Award, is an award highlighting the best American Latino contributions to music, television, and film. The awards promote fair and accurate portrayals of Latino ...
s and won his first
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
for
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy.
The series ended in 2002. He also appeared in ''
Scary Movie 3'' (2003), ''
Scary Movie 4
''Scary Movie 4'' is a 2006 American parody film directed by David Zucker, written by Jim Abrahams, Craig Mazin, and Pat Proft, and produced by Mazin and Robert K. Weiss. It is the sequel to '' Scary Movie 3'' and the fourth installment in the ...
'' (2006) and ''
Scary Movie 5'' (2013) entries in the popular horror-spoof series
''Scary Movie''.
In 2003, Sheen was cast as
Charlie Harper in the
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
sitcom ''
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn that aired on CBS for 12 seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonis ...
'', which followed the popular Monday night time slot of ''
Everybody Loves Raymond
''Everybody Loves Raymond'' is an American television sitcom created by Philip Rosenthal that aired on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005, with a total of 210 episodes spanning nine seasons. It was produced by Where's Lunch and Wor ...
''. Sheen's role on ''Two and a Half Men'' was loosely based on Sheen's bad-boy image. The role garnered him an ALMA Award and he gained three
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
nominations and two Golden Globe award nominations.
During his eighth and final season on the show, Sheen earned $1.8 million per episode.
[CBS adds six new shows, hangs on to Charlie Sheen](_blank)
USA Today, May 20, 2010, By Gary Levin
Warner Bros. dismissal and publicity
Production of ''Two and a Half Men'' went on hiatus in January 2011 while Sheen underwent a substance rehabilitation program in his home, his third attempt at rehab in 12 months. The following month, CBS canceled the season's four remaining episodes after Sheen publicly made offensive comments about the series' creator,
Chuck Lorre
Charles Michael Lorre ( ; né Levine; born October 18, 1952) is an American television producer, writer, director, and composer. Nicknamed the "King of Sitcoms", Lorre has created/co-created and produced many sitcoms including '' Cybill'' (199 ...
,
and
Warner Bros. Television banned Sheen from entering its production lot.
Sheen, already the highest-paid actor on television,
responded by publicly demanding a 50-percent raise,
[McGraw, Seamus]
"Sheen demands 50 percent raise for 'Two and a Half Men'"
''Today'' (February 28, 2011). Accessed March 1, 2011. claiming that in comparison to the amount that the series was making, he was "underpaid".
CBS and Warner Bros. Television terminated Sheen's contract on March 7, 2011. He was replaced by
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher (; born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, producer and entrepreneur. His accolades include a People's Choice Award and fifteen Teen Choice Awards, in addition to a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award.
K ...
. In the aftermath of his dismissal, Sheen continued to feud with Chuck Lorre,
and filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Lorre and Warner Bros. Television, which was settled the following September 26. That same month, Sheen, while presenting an award at the
Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
, addressed "everybody here from ''Two and a Half Men''" and stated, "From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television."
In 2012, Sheen returned to television in ''
Anger Management
Anger management is a psycho-therapeutic program for anger prevention and control. It has been described as deploying anger successfully.Schwarts, Gil. July 2006. Anger Management', July 2006 The Office Politic. Men's Health magazine. Emmaus, PA: ...
'', the spin-off of the
film of the same name. The series ended after a 100-episode run in the second season.
In the wake of the dismissal, Sheen had a highly publicized meltdown which was broadcast on television and the Internet. He made claims in television interviews suggesting that he was a "
warlock
A warlock is a male practitioner of witchcraft.
Etymology and terminology
The most commonly accepted etymology derives '' warlock'' from the Old English '' wǣrloga'', which meant "breaker of oaths" or "deceiver". The term came to apply special ...
" with "tiger blood" and "
Adonis
In Greek mythology, Adonis (; ) was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone. He was considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity.
The myth goes that Adonis was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip ...
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
", and that he was "winning". He also posted videos to YouTube showing himself smoking cigarettes through his nose, and cursing out his former employers. He told one television interviewer, "I'm tired of pretending I'm not special. I'm tired of pretending I'm not a total bitchin' rock star from
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...
." After being accused of
antisemitism
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
in 2011, Sheen claimed that his mother was Jewish, although ''
Jewish Standard'' reporter Nate Bloom wrote that he found no evidence to support this and described Sheen's claim as "exceedingly unlikely". Sheen said later that year that his father was
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
and his mother was
Southern Baptist
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestantism in the United States, Pr ...
.
On September 19, 2011, Sheen was
roasted
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizat ...
on
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...
. It was watched by 6.4 million people, making it the highest-rated roast on Comedy Central to date. Also that year, he played a role in the
hip hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
music video "Steak & Mash Potatoes" by Chain Swangaz featuring
Brother Marquis. The video features both rappers as fast-food employees who create havoc while their boss (Sheen) is gone.
2012–present
In 2012, Sheen was cast to star alongside
Jason Schwartzman
Jason Schwartzman (born June 26, 1980) is an American actor, musician, and member of the Coppola family. Schwartzman made his film debut in Wes Anderson's 1998 film '' Rushmore'', and has since appeared in six other Anderson films: '' The Darjee ...
and
Bill Murray
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Bill Murra ...
in
Roman Coppola
Roman François Coppola (born April 22, 1965) is an American filmmaker and music video director. He is the son of Francis Ford and Eleanor Coppola, and is known for his film collaborations with Wes Anderson.
Coppola serves as president of fi ...
's surreal comedy film ''
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III''. That same year he voiced Dex Dogtective in the
Lionsgate Lions Gate, Lion Gate or similar terms may refer to:
Gates
*Lion Gate at Mycenae in Greece
*Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa, now in Turkey
*Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the gardens of Hampton Court Pala ...
animated comedy ''
Foodfight'' (2012).
For the 2013 film ''
Machete Kills'', in which Sheen played the President of the United States, he was credited under his birth name Carlos Estévez. It was a one-time move due to the film's Hispanic theme; it was Sheen's idea to use his birth name for the film. The
trailer and opening credits for the film used an "and introducing..." tag when showing Sheen's birth name.
[Adios Charlie Sheen, hello Carlos Estevez](_blank)
CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
.com, June 6, 2013 Sheen's next feature film project was the
ensemble film ''
9/11
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
'' (2017), an adaptation of the
9/11
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
stage play
A play is a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than mere reading. The creator of a play is known as a playwright.
Plays are staged at various levels, ranging ...
''Elevator'' written by Patrick Carson. The film also featured
Whoopi Goldberg
Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ...
,
Gina Gershon
Gina L. Gershon (; born June 10, 1962) is an American actress and singer. She has starred in such films as ''Cocktail'' (1988), ''Red Heat'' (1988), '' Showgirls'' (1995), '' Bound'' (1996), '' Face/Off'' (1997), '' The Insider'' (1999), '' Dem ...
,
Luis Guzmán
Luis Guzmán (born August 28, 1956) is a Puerto Rican actor. His career spans over 40 years and includes a number of films and television series. He has appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson's films ''Boogie Nights'' (1997), ''Magnolia (film), Magn ...
,
Wood Harris,
Jacqueline Bisset
Winifred Jacqueline Fraser Bisset ( ; born 13 September 1944) is a British actress. She began her film career in 1965 and first came to prominence in 1968 with roles in ''The Detective (1968 film), The Detective'', ''Bullitt'', and ''The Sweet ...
, and
Bruce Davison
Bruce Allen Davison (born June 28, 1946) is an American actor who has appeared in more than 270 films, television and stage productions since his debut in 1968. His breakthrough role was as Willard Stiles in the 1971 cult horror film '' Willard' ...
.
In October 2018, Sheen flew to Australia for his "An Evening with Charlie Sheen" tour. During this time, he filmed an advert for car servicing company
Ultra Tune, which was the next installment in their controversial "Unexpected Situations" series alongside Parnia Porsche, Laura Lydall, Tyana Hansen, and Imogen Lovell.
Other ventures

In 2006, Sheen launched a clothing line for children, called Sheen Kidz. In 2011, Sheen set a
Guinness World Record
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
as the "Fastest Time to Reach 1 Million Followers" on Twitter, adding an average of 129,000 new followers daily, as well as a Guinness record for "Highest Paid TV Actor Per Episode – Current" at $1.25 million while he was a part of the cast of ''
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn that aired on CBS for 12 seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonis ...
'' sitcom.
On March 3, 2011, Sheen signed with Ad.ly marketing agency specializing in Twitter and Facebook promotions.
On March 10, 2011, Sheen announced a nationwide tour, "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option", which began in Detroit on April 2. The tour sold out in 18 minutes, a
Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster Entertainment, LLC is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010, it merged with Live Nation under the name Live Nation Ente ...
record.
However, on April 1, 2011, the ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...
'' featured an article that stated as of March 30 that there were over 1000 tickets available from a third-party reseller, some at 15% less than the cheapest seats sold at the Fox Theater. ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'' reported that it was expected Sheen would earn $1 million in 2011 from Twitter endorsements and $7 million from the North American tour.
Many of those attending the performance of April 2 in Detroit found it disappointing; the subsequent performance in Chicago, which featured some adjustments, received a more positive reception.
Sheen was announced as the face of and partner in "NicoSheen", a line of disposable
E-cigarettes and related products.
On August 13, 2011, Sheen hosted at the 12th annual
Gathering of the Juggalos
The Gathering of the Juggalos (also known as The Gathering or GOTJ) is an annual music festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label roster as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground music, ...
, an event created by the
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler). Insan ...
. He received a mixed reaction from the audience, but has expressed appreciation for the culture by describing himself as a
Juggalo and wearing a baseball cap featuring the
Psychopathic Records logo in public and during production meetings for ''Anger Management''.
Personal life
Family and relationships

Sheen has been married three times. He has five children and one grandchild.
His oldest daughter is from a relationship with his former high school girlfriend, Paula Profit, whose name has also been given as Paula Speert. Through their daughter, Cassandra Estevez, Sheen has one granddaughter, named Luna.
In January 1990, Sheen's fiancée,
Kelly Preston, was hit by shrapnel after a gun went off in their house.
She broke off the engagement shortly thereafter. In the 1990s, Sheen subsequently dated a number of
pornographic film actresses, including
Ginger Lynn and
Heather Hunter.
On September 3, 1995, Sheen married his first wife, Donna Peele.
That same year, Sheen was named as one of the clients of an escort agency operated by
Heidi Fleiss
Heidi Lynne Fleiss (born December 30, 1965) is an American former madam. She ran an upscale prostitution ring based in Los Angeles and is often referred to as the "Hollywood Madam". Fleiss also formerly worked as a columnist and was a television ...
. Sheen and Peele divorced in 1996.
Sheen met actress
Denise Richards on the set of ''
Good Advice Good Advice may refer to:
*Good Advice (film), ''Good Advice'' (film), a 2001 film
*Good Advice (album), ''Good Advice'' (album), by Basia Bulat, 2016
*Good Advice (TV series), ''Good Advice'' (TV series), 1993
*Good Advice (song), "Good Advice" (s ...
'' in 2000.
They began dating in October 2001, when Richards guest-starred on Sheen's television show ''
Spin City''.
They became engaged on December 26, 2001, and married on June 15, 2002, at the estate of ''Spin City'' creator
Gary David Goldberg
Gary David Goldberg (June 25, 1944 – June 22, 2013) was an American writer and producer for television and film. Goldberg was best known for his work on '' Family Ties'' (1982–89), '' Spin City'' (1996–2002), and his semi-autobiographical te ...
.
They have two daughters together (born in 2004 and 2005). In March 2005, Richards filed for divorce, accusing Sheen of alcohol and drug abuse with threats of violence,
as well as accusations of Sheen looking at
gay pornography
Gay pornography is the representation of Sexual practices between men, sexual activity between males with the primary goal to sexual arousal, sexually arouse its audience. Softcore pornography, Softcore gay pornography also exists; which at o ...
featuring "boys who looked underage" and being "attracted" to underage girls. Sheen would later deny these claims, and stated that the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
was "aware" of the allegations and had searched his computers. The divorce was finalized in November 2006 and preceded a custody dispute over their two daughters.
On May 30, 2008, Sheen married his third wife, Brooke Mueller. Mueller gave birth to their twin sons, Bob and Max, on March 14, 2009. In November 2010, Sheen filed for divorce. On March 1, 2011, police removed the couple's sons from Sheen's home. Sheen told NBC's ''Today (NBC program), Today'', "I stayed very calm and focused." According to ''People (magazine), People'', social services took the children after Mueller obtained a restraining order against Sheen. The document said, "I am very concerned that [Sheen] is currently insane."
Asked if he would fight for the children, Sheen texted ''People'', "Born ready. Winning."
Sheen and Mueller's divorce became final on May 2, 2011.
On March 1, 2011, Sheen was concurrently living with 24-year-old pornographic actress Bree Olson and 24-year-old model and graphic designer Natalie Kenly, whom he collectively nicknamed his "goddesses". Olson left Sheen in April 2011, and Kenly left in June 2011. In a January 2013 interview on ''Piers Morgan Tonight'', Sheen stated that he was in a relationship with adult film actress and 2011 ''Penthouse (magazine), Penthouse'' magazine Pet of the Month Georgia Jones.
In February 2014, Sheen became engaged to former adult film star Brett Rossi, who began going by her real name, Scottine.
With a wedding planned for November 2014, the engagement was broken off in October with an announcement that the two had "mutually decided" to separate. Sheen stated, "I've decided that my children deserve my focus more than a relationship does right now. I still have a tremendous fondness for Scotty and I wish her all the best."
A month later it was reported that Rossi was hospitalized for an apparent drug overdose.
In 2015, Rossi sued Sheen after his announcement of being HIV, HIV-positive and for various other allegations such as "assault and battery, emotional distress, false imprisonment and negligence".
The suit was referred to arbitration.
Another girlfriend of Sheen sued him in 2017, claiming that in 2015 he had concealed his HIV status from her until after they had unprotected sex.
The lawsuit was settled in 2022 with Sheen paying $120,000 to the woman.
In June 2022, Sheen's second daughter, Sami, created an OnlyFans account. Sheen initially disapproved of the action. He later changed his mind, citing points made by her mother.
Residences
For many years, Sheen resided in Beverly Hills, California. However, he sold his property for $6.6 million in 2020. As of 2022, Sheen resides in a rented house in
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; ; ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, about west of downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate, its strip of beaches stretching along the Pacific Ocean coa ...
.
Sheen has also owned properties in Agoura Hills, California, Agoura Hills, Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Substance abuse, legal issues and health
On May 20, 1998, Sheen had a stroke after overdosing while using cocaine and was hospitalized. Sheen was found in his seaside home by a friend, after which paramedics rushed him to Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, California, where he was described as being in "serious condition" after his stomach was pumped. Days later, Sheen checked into a rehab clinic, then told doctors that he did not intend to stay. Sheen left, but sheriff's deputies forced Sheen back to the clinic. On August 11, 1998, Sheen, already on probation in California for a drug offense, had his probation extended by one year and entered a rehab clinic.
In a 2004 interview, Sheen disclosed that his previous overdose was caused by injecting cocaine.
On December 25, 2009, Sheen was arrested for assaulting his wife, Brooke Mueller, in Aspen, Colorado. He was released the same day from jail after posting an $8,500 bond. Sheen was charged with felony menacing, as well as third-degree assault and criminal mischief. On August 2, 2010, Sheen, represented by Yale Galanter, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault as part of a plea bargain that included dismissal of the other charges against him. Sheen was sentenced to 30 days in a drug rehab center, 30 days of probation, and 36 hours of anger management.
On October 26, 2010, the police removed Sheen from his suite at the Plaza Hotel after he reportedly caused $7,000 in damage.
According to the NYPD, Sheen admitted to drinking and using cocaine the night of the incident.
On November 17, 2015, Sheen publicly revealed that he was HIV-positive people, HIV-positive, having been diagnosed roughly four years earlier.
In an interview, he referred to the acronym HIV as "three hard letters to absorb".
He manages his condition with a Management of HIV/AIDS, triple cocktail of antiretroviral drugs, and said that it was impossible that he could have knowingly infected any of his partners.
Sheen noted that since 2011, he had paid extortionists approximately $10 million to keep his HIV status secret.
Sheen stated that he was upfront about his HIV-positive condition with all of his past partners.
In an episode of ''The Dr. Oz Show'' taped in late 2015 and aired January 12, 2016, Sheen stated that he had "been off [his] meds for about a week now," receiving alternative medicine, alternative treatment in Mexico from Sam Chachoua, who claims to have an effective vaccine for HIV; according to his manager, however, after the episode was taped he resumed taking his medications.
In April 2016, Sheen had his monthly child support payments to his two ex-wives, Richards and Mueller, reduced from $55,000 to $10,000. The same month, it was announced that Sheen was under investigation by the LAPD stalking unit for threatening to kill his former fiancée Scottine Ross.
Corey Feldman allegation
In 2017, Sheen sued the ''National Enquirer'' over a story alleging that, in 1986, he raped his 13-year-old co-star Corey Haim on the set of ''Lucas (film), Lucas''. The case was settled in 2018. Haim's mother, Judy Haim, identified a different actor as her son's rapist on ''The Dr. Oz Show'', and told ''Entertainment Tonight'' that Sheen never raped her son, calling the claims "made up".
In March 2020, actor Corey Feldman repeated the claim that Sheen raped Haim in his documentary ''My Truth: The Rape of 2 Coreys, (My) Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys'', corroborated by Feldman's ex-wife Susie Feldman and his ''Lost Boys'' co-star Jamison Newlander. Sheen, through his publicist, denied the allegations, calling them "sick, twisted and outlandish".
[
]
Activism
The Charlie Sheen effect
Sheen's disclosure of his HIV-positive diagnosis corresponded with the greatest number of HIV-related Google searches ever recorded in the United States. During the three weeks following his disclosure, there were about 2.75 million more searches than expected that included the term HIV, and 1.25 million searches were directly relevant to public-health outcomes because they included search terms for condoms, HIV symptoms, or HIV testing (e.g., "get HIV tested").
A later study found Sheen's disclosure also corresponded with a 95% increase in over-the-counter at-home HIV testing kits.
The study's authors dubbed it "The Charlie Sheen Effect" with commenters noting "Charlie Sheen did more for HIV education than most UN events do." Sheen spoke out for HIV prevention, citing the studies as motivation, later adding he was "humbled" to "be of service."
Charity work
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 nonprofit's 25th Silver Anniversary Reception in 2009. 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, which raises around a quarter of a million dollars each year in Los Angeles for AIDS assistance.
He has brought other celebrities to support the event, including his father, actor Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. His work spans over six decades of television and film, and his accolades include three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and ...
. 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.
On March 27, 2008, Sheen and Jenna Elfman co-hosted the Scientology-affiliated New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project charity event.
Sheen donated one dollar from each ticket sold from his "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option Show" 2011 tour to the Red Cross 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Japanese earthquake Relief Fund.
In 2011, Sheen took on a Twitter challenge by a grieving mother to help critically ill babies born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia by supporting the Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research, Awareness and Support (CDHRAS).
Sheen is a lifelong fan of the Cincinnati Reds. In August 2012, he announced that he would donate $50,000 to the team's community fund, which supports various charities. The donation came after the team raised another $50,000 in an attempt to get sportscaster Marty Brennaman to shave his head on the field after a Reds victory. After Brennaman shaved his head, Sheen offered to match the previous donation total.
Opinions
Political views
In a 2015 interview, Sheen described himself as a "constitutional Republican Party (United States), Republican". Sheen discussed his desire of running for U.S. President in 2016 United States presidential election, 2016. Despite having been an active critic of the Presidency of George W. Bush, Bush administration during the office years, Sheen spoke fondly of George W. Bush in 2014, stating: "He did the best he could with what he was confronted with, and it is beyond anything I can comprehend".
Sheen has been publicly scathing against President Donald Trump. In 2016, he labeled Trump a "charlatan" and wished death upon him.
September 11 attacks
Sheen is an outspoken advocate of the 9/11 truth movement. On September 8, 2009, he appealed to 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 Presidency of George W. Bush, George W. Bush administration may have been responsible for the attacks.
Anti-vaccination
Sheen is staunchly Vaccine hesitancy, opposed to vaccinations. After separating from Denise Richards, he sent a legal notice to his daughters' physician stating his lack of consent to vaccinate them. The dispute over vaccines seems to have played an important role in the failure of the marriage. Richards said in an interview in 2008, "When I vaccinated Sam, he accused me of poisoning her. And I knew when he said that that the marriage wasn't going to work."
Filmography
Film
Television
Music videos
Awards and nominations
Sheen has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy for '' Spin City'' in 2002. He was Golden Globe-nominated for ''Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn that aired on CBS for 12 seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonis ...
'' in 2005 and 2006. He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for ''Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn that aired on CBS for 12 seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. The series originally starred Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper, a hedonis ...
'' from 2006 to 2009. He also received nominations for three Screen Actors Guild Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
, a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four People's Choice Awards, and three Teen Choice Awards. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in 1994.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheen, Charlie
1965 births
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
9/11 conspiracy theorists
American activists
American conspiracy theorists
American male child actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American people convicted of assault
American people of Galician descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of Spanish descent
Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners
California Republicans
Child sexual abuse in the United States
Estevez family
Hispanic and Latino American male actors
Living people
Male actors from New York City
Male actors from Santa Monica, California
New York (state) Republicans
People with HIV/AIDS
Santa Monica High School alumni
Violence against women in the United States