Charlie Sheen, a former Hollywood star, has released a memoir revealing the highs and lows of his turbulent life. «The Book of Sheen» traces his rise, public downfall and journey to sobriety in 2017, according to the Associated Press.
Born Carlos Irwin Estévez in 1965 to actor Martin Sheen and Janet Templeton, Sheen was immersed in film sets and creative ambition from an early age. His breakout roles in Platoon (1986) and Wall Street (1987) revealed his talent. Years later, he starred on CBS’s “Two and a Half Men,” which made him the highest-paid actor on television.
Yet alongside his success, Sheen’s personal life spiraled. The memoir describes decades of substance abuse. He recounts repeated stints in rehab, a string of high-profile relationships and divorces, and seven family interventions. Friendships with fellow stars and drug-fueled escapades derailed both his health and his career.
Sheen details being introduced to drugs in high school, including his first experience with crack cocaine in 1992. Addiction nearly cost him multiple film roles. At the height of his fame, his disruptive behavior forced “Two and a Half Men” into hiatus, which ultimately led to his firing in 2011 after clashes with creator Chuck Lorre.
The memoir also describes his 2015 HIV diagnosis as a turning point, though he struggled with alcohol until quitting for good in December 2017. Sheen’s sobriety was motivated by family. He writes that a moment came when he could not drive his daughter Sam to an appointment because he had been drinking. That, he explains, forced lasting change.
Now 60, Sheen says he needed time and distance from his chaotic past to write the memoir.
«I needed this much space between that other life, those other versions of me,» he reflected.
