He was born in 1965, the youngest son and third of four children to actor Martin Sheen and artist Janet Templeton. He began stage acting at the age of eight years and his film career began in 1984. His birth certificate reads Carlos Irwin Estevez but we all know him as Charlie Sheen. I still remember him in some of my favorite teenage movies, classics( I use the term classics loosely) such as Red Dawn, Platoon, Wall Street, Young Guns, The Rookie, Major League and Beyond the Law. In the film Working Men, he and his real life brother and co-star Emilo Estevez used a BB gun to shoot people out of their upper story apartment window. This scene inspired me to do the same out my bedroom window to the construction workers who constantly woke me early in the morning while they were building a new street full of houses directly behind my parents place. Does anyone else remember the crazy zig-zag haircut he sported when he boldly strode on to the field to speakers blasting the song Wild Thing in the comedy Major League. I can not remember a role he has played that has not portrayed him as a wild, smartass, hard drinking and or hard drugging guy with a voracious sexual appetite. His current role as Uncle Charlie in the sitcom Two and a Half Men is based on and would not be as effective without his lifelong cultivation of a bad boy image.
The man currently earns $1.8 million dollars for each half hour episode of Two and a Half Men making him the highest paid TV actor of all time. Why does he make so much money? Quite possibly because of his hard work in creating this bad boy image. My man Chuck ( He told me I could call him Chuck during one Hunter Thompson type weekend we spent on the beach in Belize) is such a professional, so dedicated to his work, his career, his ART that he has spent 45 years, his entire lifetime in role research. He told me that with the high number of perverts, alcohol abusers, and recreational drug users in this country today he feels that if he does not fully get into his character, do the research and actually live his character, that there is no way he could possibly pull off a believable portrayal of the image the producers and directors demand of him. The man gives it all, every 3-10 days when he lays down to sleep he knows that he has left everything out there, he has pushed it to the limit and beyond for us, his loyal and delighted fans. The man has had at least two long term relationships with female porn stars. Not just porn actresses but full blown career type Porn Stars. Easy, I think not. Again he did this not for his own personal pleasure but as part of his never ending quest to more accurately portray his bad boy image, he did this, again, for us the fans.
All of this professionalism, all of this dedication has not come without its price though. While millions clamor for Chucks particular brand of art, there are a few out there who do not see all the hard work he has put in, a few who do not see the big picture, a few who cannot see through the little episodes that naturally come along with this kind or workaholicism. A few who wish not to give the man accolades but would rather give the man time behind bars. My friend has been forced into multiple detox and drug rehabilitation programs. He has been jailed for crimes such as felony menacing, assault, criminal mischief , domestic violence and DUI. All of these crimes Chuck has also committed on various episodes of Two and a Half Men, the prime time sitcom that he is paid the $1.8 mil for, the show that delights millions and sells billions of dollars worth of advertising space every year. These same behaviors on film have earned the man three Emmy Award nominations, and two Golden Globe Award nominations.
These hijinks's have made Charlie Sheen a household name, almost as well recognized around the world as Coca-cola. The women love him, the men want to be him and the judges, well they just want to judge him.
I propose amnesty for my pal Carlos Irwin Estevez. I propose not just amnesty but possibly a declaration of a national, no worldwide holiday celebrating the hard work, the selfless dedication of this truly unique and gifted artist. I propose that we set up a mandatory course in all english speaking high schools that are based around my friends life, a course that will teach the lazy, undisciplined kids of today what it takes to succeed in the highly competitive world that we have created. I propose...what,whats that Chuck. Sorry Chuck needs someone to roll him a joint, his hands are to shaky, I got to go.
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