Since his arrival into mainstream Hollywood over 20 years ago, Charlie Sheen has been plagued with one scandal after the other. From the accidental shooting of his then-fiancé Kelly Preston to excessive drug-fueled parties with porn stars in hotels, a felony menacing charge in 2005 and then most recently, his falling out with soon-to-be ex-wife Brooke Muller, Sheen is making headlines.
He has managed to keep his career afloat, standing as the exception to the “scandals ruin your career in Hollywood” rule not adhered to by the likes of Mel Gibson and Lindsay Lohan. He triumphed after each scandal, appearing in mediocre but good box office draws such as the Scary Movie franchise and CBS’ hit sitcom Two and a Half Men. He earned roughly two million
dollars per episode, which made him not only one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood but also the highest paid TV actor.
Last month, production on the show was halted after Sheen unleashed a series of rants against the show’s
co-creator and producer Chuck Lorre. With a media storm fast approaching, Sheen cut his vacation short in the Bahamas and flew back to set the record straight about his drug use and mental state, which Warner Brothers Studios claimed was the one of the reasons for halting production on the show.
In his interview with ABC News on Good Morning America, Sheen addressed rumors of him having bipolar disorder with a quote that has become extremely popular: “I’m bi-winning. I win here and I win there.” He also boasted and defended his party animal lifestyle, saying “I was banging seven gram rocks and finishing them because I’m me, I’m different. I have tiger blood.”
Sheen’s mannerisms throughout the interview seemed erratic and borderline nihilistic although he was sober and had been for 72 hours, as proven by a blood test that was administered during the show with the results shown afterwards on air.
Soon after, Sheen created a Twitter account. The Guinness Book of World Records even listed Sheen as the fastest user to gain a million followers in only 25 hours. The phrases “winning” and “tiger blood” stayed at the top of trend lists daily, accompanied by spoofs on Sheen on Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and countless musical renditions of his interview on YouTube. Shirts, mugs and posters with the phrases “Bi-Winning,” “Winning” and “Tiger blood” have quickly become the hottest commodities on custom-made sites such as Zazzle and PosterRevolution. Sheen himself even scored a one million dollar Twitter endorsement deal with Ad.ly, a Los Angeles-based company. Everyone seems to be cashing in on the controversy.
But with every win comes a loss. Sheen was officially fired from Two and a Half Men by Warner Bros. The studio cited Sheen’s self-destructive behavior and illicit drug use as the basis for firing him, arguing that he had broken the moral turpitude clause in his contract. Sheen took the setback in stride and in return, launched his “torpedo” at Warner Brothers and CBS by serving them with a $100 million lawsuit.
It is safe to say that Sheen is coping with his drug addiction, has a soft spot for porn stars and always lived a self-destructive lifestyle. Regardless, Sheen has managed to triumph through every scandal he has faced—this one might be no different. Sheen recently
announced that he will be going on a mini-tour next month called “Charlie Sheen LIVE: My Violent Torpedo of Truth,” which will premiere in April. Tickets to the shows, with the first two scheduled in the Midwest, sold out in 18 minutes.
Though out of a job, Sheen’s still raking in millions through endorsements, merchandise and soon, a hefty payday from Warner Bros., making him undoubtedly the world’s greatest “unemployed winner.” According to internship.com, 74,000 people applied for the coveted position to work with the troubled star and help field the media attention Sheen has been receiving. We should all take notes.
