'Two and a Half Men' creator Chuck Lorre says Melanie Lynskey became 'terrified' of Charlie Sheen
Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre revealed that Charlie Sheen was unable to stand up straight or remember his lines while filming the series finale.
Lorre has opened up about what it was like to work on the hit series in his upcoming memoir, Sitcom, with an excerpt published by Vanity Fair revealing that Sheen's behaviour had left co-star Melanie Lynskey 'terrified' during their final filming shoots.
"The last scene we shot was with Charlie and Melanie Lynskey. He couldn’t remember any of his lines and had to use the furniture to keep himself upright," Lorre wrote.
"Melanie was terrified. It was clear to everyone that this man, whom we’d all grown to love, was in trouble. I had no choice but to shut down the show."
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While Lorre did not explicitly name the reason for Sheen's behaviour, it is well-known that the actor had been dealing with substance abuse issues and experienced a public meltdown during this period. He was ultimately fired from Two and a Half Men in 2011.
Sheen would go on to file a wrongful termination lawsuit against Lorre and Warner Bros. Television, which was later settled.
He was later replaced by Ashton Kutcher, who appeared on the show for four seasons before it was eventually cancelled in 2015.
Two and a Half Men crew experienced 'anxiety' during season eight filming
Lorre also opened up on the anxiety experienced by the cast and crew during production for season eight, writing about concerns for Sheen's wellbeing on the days between filming.
"The next few months, we worked in a constant state of anxiety," he wrote. "We’d shoot the show on Friday nights and wish each other a pleasant weekend, all the while afraid of what might happen to our star between now and Tuesday morning.
"Even worse, every two weeks, the cast got a full week off. That meant 10 days where Charlie’s life and the lives of those around him were in jeopardy."
Sheen has since reflected candidly on this period of his life since getting sober, telling PEOPLE that he still gets the 'shame shivers' when he thinks of his previous behaviour.
"Forgiveness is still an evolving thing," he said. "I still get what I call the 'shame shivers.' These are the moments that hit me, of the heinous memories and choices and consequences."
Despite the public feud, Sheen and Lorre have since made amends, with the showrunner telling Variety in 2023 that he realised that friendship was there as soon as they began talking again.
"I was nervous, but almost as soon as we started talking, I remembered we were friends once," he said, adding: "And that friendship just suddenly seemed to be there again.
"I loved working with Charlie on Two and a Half Men. We did 170 episodes together before it all fell apart. And more often than not, we had a good time."
LADbible has approached representatives for Charlie Sheen and Melanie Lynskey for comment.
Brenna Cooper