Before Charlie Sheen’s antics ever came close to causing Two and a Half Men to nearly implode, the idea of casting his co-star was a major issue for the network. The CBS comedy series, which you can watch with a Peacock subscription, went on to become one of the longest-running and most popular sitcoms of the 21st century, but its behind-the-scenes drama could have been a sitcom all its own.
In his new memoir Sitcom, series creator Chuck Lorre recalls the casting process for the three leads – Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones – and how the network was adamant about not choosing Cryer to play Alan Harper, brother to Charlie and dad to Jake. And if you’re wondering whether anyone was reading into the pushback and making it seem harsher than it was, the prolific TV producer relayed the quote from CBS’s head of casting as follows (via USA Today):
Just be warned, we don’t want to hear the words ‘Jon Cryer.’
A statement like that leaves little wiggle room if you want to change the minds of the powers that be. Lorre had previously worked with the Supergirl actor on Dharma & Greg, as well as on an ABC pilot that didn’t get picked up, and admitted to always being impressed by him. So, that led to him asking why they couldn’t discuss his possible casting. Apparently, a track record of having four short-lived sitcoms, none of which survived beyond one season, was a dealbreaker because they were holding him responsible.
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When it comes to the success and failure of movies and TV shows, it’s pretty much never the fault of one specific person or thing. If it takes a village to make something (which it does), then it can’t rest on the shoulders of one individual if that thing then fails. That’s why the following reaction is wild:
I was told … yep, you know where this is going … (Cryer) was the death of comedy. He’d been cast on several failed pilots and series, ergo he must be to blame. All by himself. Jon Cryer, the beloved Duckie in ‘Pretty in Pink,’ was the death of comedy.
I’m sorry, but it feels like blasphemy to call the undeniably charming Duckie from Pretty in Pink the “death of comedy.” As a result, I’m also happy to hear that Chuck Lorre decided to take a stand and push back on that sentiment. Jon Cryer was ultimately set up with an audition in front of CBS executives, including chairman and CEO Les Moonves, who definitely weren’t cheerleading for his success, so it was up to him to win them over. And according to the USA Today article, the Extended Family star crushed it, his chemistry with Charlie Sheen being a highlight.
Apparently, Cryer was so good that Lorre burst into applause, seemingly irking Moonves with his reaction. But it worked enough to get him into the role for the pilot, which was an immediate success, pushing the series forward and into TV history. Funnily enough, that Duckie actor that CBS didn’t trust to deliver outlasted his co-star Charlie Sheen, who dealt with personal issues that led to him being fired from Two and A Half Men. In March 2011, Sheen was officially axed, with Ashton Kutcher stepping in from Season 9 through the end of its run in Season 12.
While understandably exhausted with Men by the end, Cryer shut down the notion that he and Charlie Sheen were feuding. In the past, Lorre got candid about his feud with Sheen and stressed that while they enjoyed working together, their relationship eventually deteriorated.