In somewhat of a surprise move, Charlie Sheen presented the 2011 Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. But before doing so, he let the Los Angeles gathering know he had something to say. And instead of sliding into some rant about winning and producer Chuck Lorre’s control issues on “Two and a Half Men,” he decided to take a different approach than the “winning” manner he had employed just before becoming unemployed.
“I want to take a moment to get something off my chest, to say a few words to everyone here from Two and a Half Men,” he began, according to Entertainment Weekly, no doubt gaining the attention of everyone in the Nokia Theatre. The Charlie Sheen meltdown and severance from the hit CBS comedy series had run the news cycle ragged for weeks beginning in February. And there is also little doubt that most were probably surprised not only by what Sheen said next but that he did so without any hint of derision.
“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,” Sheen said.
Jim Parsons, who won the award for his portrayal of Sheldon on “Big Bang Theory,” commented when accepting his second consecutive Emmy, “This is odd for so many reasons.”
Odd it may have been, but it was also a reflection of the new and improved Sheen, a man who seemed distantly removed from the partying days, his porn star “family” of young women, and the “Tigerblood”-swilling caricature that he created of himself earlier in the year. He appeared on NBC’s “Today” show earlier in the week, telling Matt Lauer “… I said some stuff, and it caught such traction globally…that I couldn’t really put out the fire, so I had to keep fueling it.” He said he now regretted creating such catchphrases as “Tigerblood” and “Adonis DNA.”
“There’s always a chance, you know, to fix things or to forgive or to be forgiven,” said the more mellow Sheen, portraying the guy everyone would see at Sunday evening’s Emmy Awards ceremony. “And you just got to be — or I have to just be mature enough and focused enough and on point enough to know that at the end of the day it’s not just about, you know, wanting solution or wanting harmony. It’s about what I can bring to it and how I can lead by example again.”
It is uncertain how “Two and a Half Men” producer Lorre, the man who bore the brunt of much of the actor’s ire during his public meltdown, feels about the “mature enough” Sheen.
Sheen, who seems to be taking himself far less seriously than he did a few months ago, will have a chance to show how far he has progressed when Comedy Central broadcasts a roast dedicated to the 46-year-old actor Monday evening. The roasts are known for their eviscerating verbal brutality at the expense of the roastee, or “honored” guest. It airs as soon as the season premiere of “Two and a Half Men” — with Sheen’s quasi-replacement Ashton Kutcher — ends at 9:30 p.m. ET.
It would appear Comedy Central would like the peace formed at the 2011 Emmy Awards to extend to a lead-in to the roast.
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Sources:
Lynette Rice, “Emmys 2011: The complete winners list,” InsideTV.EW.com
“Charlie Sheen Tells ‘Today Show’s’ Matt Lauer He Has Regrets,” HollywoodReporter.com