Charlie Sheen

Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. A leading man in film and television, his accolades include a Golden Globe as well as nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards and three Actor Awards. In 1994, Sheen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Charlie Sheen followed in the footsteps of his father Martin Sheen in becoming an actor. He starred in many successful films such as Red Dawn (1984), Platoon (1986), Wall Street (1987), Eight Men Out (1988), Young Guns (1988), Major League (1989), Hot Shots! (1991), The Three Musketeers (1993), and Scary Movie 3 (2003). In 2000, Sheen replaced Michael J. Fox as the star of ABC's Spin City (2000–2002), portraying Charlie Crawford. He then starred as Charlie Harper on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men (2003–2011). 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 and Warner Bros. following public substance-abuse problems, marital difficulties and comments made towards the series' creator, Chuck Lorre. In 2015, Sheen publicly revealed that he was HIV positive, which led to an increase in HIV prevention and testing that was dubbed the "Charlie Sheen effect". Post-Two and a Half Men, he starred in the FX sitcom series Anger Management (2012–2014) and the film Machete Kills (2013).

In 2025, he was the subject of the Netflix documentary Aka Charlie Sheen and published a New York Times best-selling memoir, The Book of Sheen, which detailed his career and recovery.

Carlos Irwin Estévez was born on September 3, 1965, in New York City, the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen (whose real name is Ramón Estévez) and artist Janet Templeton. His paternal grandparents were emigrants from Galicia (Spain) and Ireland, respectively. Sheen said in 2011 that his father was Catholic and his mother was Southern Baptist. He has two older brothers, Emilio and Ramon, and a younger sister, Renée, all actors. His parents moved to Malibu, California, 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 in Santa Monica, California, along with Robert Downey Jr., 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 films with his brother Emilio and school friends Rob Lowe and Sean Penn 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 earlier adopted the surname Sheen in his acting career, in honor of the Catholic archbishop and theologian Fulton J. Sheen, and Charlie was an English form of his given name Carlos.

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, which remained unreleased until 2020. In 1984, he had a role in the John Milius-directed Cold War teen drama Red Dawn with Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, and Jennifer Grey. His next theatrical release was The Boys Next Door (1985), directed by Penelope Spheeris. While largely ignored by the public, the film was critically acclaimed. The Los Angeles Times review praised Sheen, by saying he is "marvelous as a kid scared of his own desires--eyes wide open, paralyzed with fear, he looks like a deer caught in the glare of a hunter's headlights". The New York Times review has also praised Sheen's "exceptionally well-acted" performance and compared the film to Badlands (1973), a film starring Charlie's father Martin Sheen for its "lean and unsentimental" atmosphere.

In 1986, Sheen has started to get more attention. He reunited with Jennifer Grey in a small scene in the comedy film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, where he played a juvenile delinquent Grey meets in a police station. Sheen intentionally deprived himself of sleep to have a more authentic look. New York Daily News wrote that Sheen "makes a great impact in this one brief scene [more] than anyone else in the movie." Film critic Gene Siskel praised the chemistry between him and Grey.

Sheen had a supporting role in the coming-of-age drama Lucas (1986), which got a mostly positive reception. Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times said Sheen has the most difficult role to play in Lucas and his performance avoids the clichés usually associated with teen jock characters. Los Angeles Times review has also praised Sheen, writing that he "exudes naturalness, manages to be handsome without being self-conscious" and surprisingly "emerges as the film's most consistently sympathetic figure." He didn't get much attention for the science fiction film The Wraith (1986), despite playing the titular role, because critics thought he was underused. In a review for The Washington Post, critic Paul Attanasio mentioned that "there is all too little of the quietly charismatic Sheen."

Sheen's breakthrough role came in the Oliver Stone-directed Vietnam War drama Platoon (1986). The film was a major commercial and critical success and won four Oscars, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. Sheen and the rest of the cast underwent an immersive military‑style boot camp lasting about 30 days, with strict control over food and water, minimal sleep, and blank‑fire exercises to simulate combat stress. Vincent Canby of The New York Times applauded Sheen's performance, saying the character was "beautifully played." The Arizona Republic described the performance as "terrific" and Newsday as "marvellous." Variety review noted the similarities he has with his father Martin, making a comparison to his father's Apocalypse Now performance. Both Platoon and Ferris Bueller were among the ten highest-grossing films of the year in the United States.

His first post-Platoon role was in the road film Three for the Road (1987), which did not get much attention; Sheen reportedly called it "the nadir" of his career. Despite negative reviews, the critics described Sheen's performance as one of the stronger points of the film. In the same year, he collaborated with Oliver Stone again by starring opposite Michael Douglas and his father Martin Sheen in the drama Wall Street in which he played the role of Bud Fox, a young and ambitious stockbroker. The film received mostly positive reviews and was a commercial success. The Washington Post review raved about his performance: "the younger Sheen, who walked wide-eyed through Stone's Vietnam, walks with similar innocence through [the film] and with his three-piece determination he's perfect as a greenhorn yuppie playing with the big guns." The Hollywood Reporter review found him "commendably convincing".

In the new millennium, Sheen has mostly moved to television roles. His first role was the Emilio Estevez-directed Showtime biographical drama film Rated X (2000), in which he and Emilio played pornographic industry entrepreneurs Artie and Jim Mitchell, respectively. Variety review gave high praise to their performances, by writing both actors do "an uncanny, genuinely impressive job". New York Post review raved about their performances as "beyond good".

His first sitcom lead attempt was a pilot for ABC, called Sugar Hill in 1999, which was not picked up. In 2000, Sheen first appeared on the small screen as a series regular when he replaced Michael J. Fox for the last two seasons of the sitcom Spin City. After Sheen joined, the show's ratings improved among younger viewers, especially the 18–34 demographic. Michael J. Fox stated that Sheen did a "great job" as his replacement. For his work on Spin City, Sheen was nominated for two ALMA Awards and won his first Golden Globe 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 (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 sitcom Two and a Half Men, which followed the popular Monday night time slot of Everybody Loves Raymond. Sheen's role on Two and a Half Men was loosely based on Sheen's bad-boy image. Sheen's performance was well received. USA Today review wrote "Sheen is so amusingly sardonic and cheerfully self-aware, he makes Charlie's immaturity endearing rather than annoying." The role garnered him an ALMA Award and he gained four Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe award nominations. During his eighth and final season on the show, Sheen earned $1.8 million per episode.

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, 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, 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. 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, 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 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" with "tiger blood" and "Adonis DNA", 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." After being accused of antisemitism 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 and his mother was Southern Baptist.

On September 19, 2011, Sheen was roasted on Comedy Central. 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 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.

In 2012, Sheen returned to television in Anger Management, the spin-off of the film of the same name. The series ended after a 100-episode run in the second season in late 2014.

Also in 2012, Sheen was cast to star alongside Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray in Roman Coppola's surreal comedy film A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III. That same year he voiced Dex Dogtective in the Lionsgate 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. Sheen's next feature film project was the ensemble film 9/11 (2017), an adaptation of the 9/11 stage play Elevator written by Patrick Carson. The film also featured Whoopi Goldberg, Gina Gershon, Luis Guzmán, Wood Harris, Jacqueline Bisset, and Bruce Davison. Sheen's performance gained mixed reviews. Film critic Alonso Duralde of TheWrap wrote Sheen now "lacks the vitality he once brought to the screen, but neither does he embarrass himself."

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.

In 2025 a two-part documentary about Sheen titled aka Charlie Sheen was released on Netflix.

In 2006, Sheen launched a clothing line for children, called Sheen Kidz. In 2011, Sheen set a Guinness World Record 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 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 record. However, on April 1, 2011, the Detroit Free Press 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 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, an event created by the Insane Clown Posse. 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.

Sheen has been married three times. He has five children and two grandchildren.

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 a daughter, Sheen has one granddaughter.

For many years, Sheen resided in Beverly Hills, California. He sold his property for $6.6 million in 2020. As of 2022, Sheen resides in a rented house in Malibu, California.

Sheen has also owned properties in Agoura Hills, Sherman Oaks and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

In a 2015 interview, Sheen described himself as a "constitutional Republican" and expressed a desire to run for president in 2016. Despite having been an active critic of the Bush administration at the time it was in power, Sheen spoke fondly of George W. Bush in 2014, saying: "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 about President Donald Trump. In 2016, he labeled Trump a "charlatan" and wished death upon him. However, in a 2025 appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show during her live tour, Sheen stated that he voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election, but more recently has "been listening to both sides", praised some of Trump's policy, including his negotiated agreements in international conflicts and said he had to "part ways" with the Democratic Party.

Despite being a gun enthusiast in his youth, Sheen has spoken in favor of gun control. In 2013, while discussing the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, he commented, "If anybody from the NRA wants to look any of those parents in the eyes from that school and tell them that guns are still necessary, then I urge them to, and see how that goes," and added that, "we're not supposed to bury our children."

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 George W. Bush administration may have been responsible for the attacks.

Sheen is staunchly 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."

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 2017 study found that Sheen's disclosure 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, sharing the studies on social media, tweeting "Honored, humbled, inspired, hopeful."

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. 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 Japanese earthquake Relief Fund.

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 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 from 2006 to 2009. He also received nominations for three Actor Awards, 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 in 1994.

Sheen, Charlie (September 9, 2025). The Book of Sheen: A Memoir (First hardcover ed.). New York: Gallery Books. ISBN 978-1668075289. OCLC 1526038154. Retrieved August 1, 2025.