A fresh Netflix documentary features Hollywood legend Charlie Sheen opening up about his tumultuous life and career.
The star, who was once the highest-paid actor during his stint on the sitcom Two and a Half Men, delves into some of the most challenging periods of his life and addresses certain rumours for the first time.
As per its synopsis, the documentary pledges to present Charlie Sheen in a light never seen before, with seven years of hard-earned sobriety under his belt as he lays everything bare, revisiting the public highs and lows of his life with humour, heart, and astonishing honesty.
Launched earlier this week, the film, split into two parts totalling around three hours, is rapidly climbing Netflix’s charts.
At the time of writing, it has become the third most-watched film among UK viewers in just 24 hours.
While the film includes archive footage and extensive chats with Charlie himself, several people close to the star also feature. This includes two of his ex-wives, Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller, reports the Mirror.
His former Two and A Half Men co-star Jon Cryer makes an appearance, although he confesses he was uncertain about participating. His friends, comedian Chris Tucker and fellow actor Sean Penn, also feature.
Brother Ramon Estevez and two of Charlie’s children discuss their relationships with him. However, there are noticeable absences from certain family members.
Charlie Sheen’s father, acclaimed actor Martin Sheen, and his brother Emilio Estevez, both declined to participate in the Netflix documentary about Charlie’s life.
In the film, Charlie addresses their absence, hinting at their reasons for not wanting to be involved. He says: “Emilio and Dad, they fully support me. They’re rooting for me in ways you can’t even imagine. But I can’t expect people to revisit all the drug abuse and all the s****y choices that hurt the people I love. Would I love them both in this? Absolutely. But I completely understand why they chose not to.”
The documentary revisits some of these challenging times, including instances when Martin Sheen held press conferences urging his son to seek treatment for his drug addiction. It’s understandable that some may find it hard to relive such emotionally charged moments.
However, Charlie’s relationship with his father and brother appears to have improved significantly. He ensures the documentary concludes with a heartfelt tribute to his father, saying: “I can’t imagine being my dad. I can’t even imagine it. We banged heads a lot over the years. We haven’t for a long time. We came to a place that’s been beautiful. It has been nourishing. If I could put it into one word: gratitude.”
During this segment, clips are shown of Charlie and Martin Sheen sharing screen time on the sitcom Spin City, where their characters express their love for each other.
Emilio has recently been supporting his brother by promoting their Netflix documentary and memoir, even featuring in an Interview Magazine piece.
During their extensive conversation, the brothers shared their mutual admiration for the film Jaws on its 50th anniversary, and found time to share inside jokes, quoting lines from their father’s iconic war film Apocalypse Now. They concluded their chat with a light-hearted debate over who would pick up something for their mother before the family dinner that evening.
Emilio also hinted at why he may not have appeared in the documentary, telling his brother: “Celebrity documentaries are like social media pages on steroids, that’s how I see them anyway. I think it’s important to know that the object of the documentary most often doesn’t get to have final cut before it hits the airwaves.”
aka Charlie Sheen is streaming on Netflix.