Charlie Sheen says Clint Eastwood played a pivotal, if unexpected, role in a Hollywood-stacked intervention that led to his first stay in rehab in 1990.
In the new two-part Netflix docuseries "aka Charlie Sheen," the actor recounts being duped into attending what he thought was his father Martin Sheen’s birthday party on Aug. 3, 1990, only to walk into a room staged as an intervention. Sheen said the living room was arranged in a circle and that those assembled included Rob Lowe, a seventh-grade history teacher, his yoga instructor, his siblings Ramón, Emilio and Renée, and his parents. He said Martin Sheen stopped him and announced, "There’s someone on the phone who wants to talk to you," and that Eastwood—whose voice he called "very recognizable, very globally familiar"—told him he was "worth saving" and urged him, "You’ve got to get the train back on the tracks, kid."
Sheen said Eastwood’s words were powerful and helped persuade him to go to treatment. The episode of the documentary recounts the Aug. 1990 intervention as the event that pushed Sheen into his first rehab stay. The docuseries premiered Wednesday, days after the publication of Sheen’s memoir, The Book of Sheen, which was released Tuesday.
In his memoir and in the series, Sheen also reflects on his behavior on set while working with Eastwood on the 1990 film "The Rookie," acknowledging he was "sloppy" at times, a consequence he attributed to late nights of partying with friends including Nicolas Cage. The documentary traces Sheen’s career arc from early success to the widely publicized 2011 breakdown that led to his firing from the CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men," after which Ashton Kutcher replaced him.
The aftermath of the 2011 meltdown fractured Sheen’s relationships with several colleagues. Jon Cryer, Sheen’s former co-star on "Two and a Half Men," appears in the documentary and offers his perspective on the series’ collapse; Cryer has previously said he has "no relationship" with Sheen. Sheen said he appreciated Cryer’s contribution and understands why Cryer remains upset given how Sheen’s addictions affected Cryer’s family and career. Sheen said he reached out to thank Cryer after seeing his segment but had not heard back.
Show creator Chuck Lorre and Sheen have since reconciled. Lorre said the reunion, including Sheen’s recent guest appearances on Lorre’s Max comedy "Bookie," was "healing," and that the pair rediscovered the friendship they once had. Lorre noted the pair made 170 episodes of "Two and a Half Men" together before their public falling out.
Sheen has publicly acknowledged responsibility for his role in the 2011 rupture. In interviews in 2018 and 2021 he admitted he could have handled his firing and subsequent behavior differently and described his own need for growth and accountability. The documentary also notes that Sheen has been sober for eight years.
The series joins Sheen’s memoir in offering his account of decades in the public eye, from breakthrough roles to personal struggles and efforts at reconciliation. The documentary is billed as an examination of his life and career and is available on Netflix.