Charlie Sheen
Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He is known as a leading man in film and television. Over his fifty-year career he has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 1994 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
"Carlos Estévez" redirects here. For other people with the same name, see Carlos Estévez (disambiguation).
Charlie Sheen
Actor
1973–present
5
- Ramon Estevez (brother)
- Emilio Estevez (brother)
- Renée Estevez (sister)
- Joe Estevez (uncle)
Sheen followed in the footsteps of his father Martin Sheen in becoming an actor. Sheen starred in a slew of successful films such as Red Dawn (1984), Platoon (1986), Wall Street (1987), Eight Men Out (1988), Young Guns (1988), The Rookie (1990), The Three Musketeers (1993), and The Arrival (1996). In the 2000s, when Sheen replaced Michael J. Fox as the star of ABC's Spin City, his portrayal of Charlie Crawford earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. He then starred as Charlie Harper on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men (2003–11), for which he received multiple Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations, and as Dr. Charles "Charlie" Goodson on the FX series Anger Management (2012–14). In 2010, Sheen was the highest-paid actor on television, earning US$1.8 million per episode of Two and a Half Men.[2]
Sheen was terminated from his Two and a Half Men contract by CBS and Warner Bros. following a public series of substance-abuse issues, marital problems and comments made towards the series' creator, Chuck Lorre.[3][4] In 2015, Sheen publicly revealed that he is HIV positive which led to an increase in HIV prevention and testing which was dubbed the "Charlie Sheen effect".[5][6]
Early life
Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estévez on September 3, 1965, in New York City,[7][8] the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen (whose real name is Ramón Estévez) and artist Janet Templeton.[9] His paternal grandparents were emigrants from Galicia (Spain) and Ireland, respectively.[10] Sheen said in 2011 that his father was Catholic and his mother was Southern Baptist.[11] 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.[9][12]
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 graduation, Sheen was expelled from school for poor grades and attendance. Deciding to become an actor, he took the stage name Charlie Sheen. His father had adopted the surname Sheen in honor of the Catholic archbishop and theologian Fulton J. Sheen, while Charlie was an English form of his given name Carlos.[13][14]
Activism
The Charlie Sheen effect
Sheen's HIV-positive disclosure 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").[134]
A later study found Sheen's disclosure corresponded with a 95% increase in over-the-counter at-home HIV testing kits.[135]
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."[136] Sheen spoke out for HIV prevention, citing the studies as motivation, later adding he was "humbled" to "be of service."
Charity work
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.[137]
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.[138] 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,[139] which raises around a quarter of a million dollars[138] each year in Los Angeles for AIDS assistance.[140][141]
He has brought other celebrities to support the event, including his father, actor Martin Sheen.[142] 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.[143][144]
On March 27, 2008, Sheen and Jenna Elfman co-hosted the Scientology-affiliated New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project charity event.[145]
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.[55]
In 2011, Sheen took on a Twitter challenge by a grieving mother to help critically ill babies born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia by supporting CHERUBS – The Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research, Awareness and Support.[146]
Sheen, a lifelong fan of the Cincinnati Reds, announced in August 2012 that he would donate $50,000 to the team's community fund, which supports various charities. The donation came after the team raised another $50,000 in an attempt to get sportscaster Marty Brennaman to shave his head on the field after a Reds victory. After Brennaman shaved his head, Sheen offered to match the previous donation total.[147]
Opinions
Political views
In a 2015 interview, Sheen described himself as a "constitutional Republican". Sheen discussed his desire of running for U.S. President in 2016.[148] Despite having been an active critic of the Bush administration during the office years, Sheen spoke fondly of George W. Bush in 2014 and defended his service as president by stating: "He did the best he could with what he was confronted with, and it is beyond anything I can comprehend".[149]
Sheen has been publicly scathing against former president Donald Trump. He has labelled Trump a "charlatan" and wished death upon him.[150][151]
September 11 attacks
Sheen is an outspoken advocate of the 9/11 truth movement.[152] 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 administration of former President George W. Bush may have been responsible for the attacks.[153]
Anti-vaccination
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.[154] 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."[155]