1983–1999: Breakthrough and stardom Sheen's film career began in 1983, when he was cast to portray Ron in
Grizzly II: The Predator, the sequel to the 1976 low-budget horror movie
Grizzly, which remained unreleased until 2020. In 1984, he had a role in the
John Milius-directed Cold War teen drama
Red Dawn with
Patrick Swayze,
C. Thomas Howell,
Lea Thompson, and
Jennifer Grey. His next theatrical release was
The Boys Next Door (1985), directed by
Penelope Spheeris.
The New York Times review has also praised Sheen's "exceptionally well-acted" performance and compared the film to
Badlands (1973), a film starring Charlie's father
Martin Sheen for its "lean and unsentimental" atmosphere. , highlighting parallels between Charlie's performances in
The Boys Next Door (1985) and
Platoon (1986) and Martin's acclaimed roles in
Badlands (1973) and
Apocalypse Now (1979). In 1986, Sheen has started to get more attention. He reunited with Jennifer Grey in a small scene in the comedy film ''
Ferris Bueller's Day Off, where he played a juvenile delinquent Grey meets in a police station. New York Daily News'' wrote "[Sheen] makes a great impact in this one brief scene than anyone else in the movie." Film critic
Gene Siskel praised the chemistry between him and Grey. Sheen had a supporting role in the coming-of-age drama
Lucas (1986), which got a mostly positive reception.
Roger Ebert of
Chicago Sun-Times said Sheen has the most difficult role to play in
Lucas and his performance avoids the clichés usually associated with
teen jock characters.
Los Angeles Times review has also praised Sheen, writing that he "exudes naturalness, manages to be handsome without being self-conscious" and surprisingly "emerges as the film's most consistently sympathetic figure." He didn't get much attention for the science fiction film
The Wraith (1986), despite playing the titular role because critics thought he was underused. In a review for
The Washington Post, critic
Paul Attanasio mentioned that "there is all too little of the quietly charismatic Sheen." Sheen's big breakthrough role came in the
Oliver Stone-directed
Vietnam War drama
Platoon (1986). The film was a major commercial and critical success and won four Oscars, including the
Academy Award for Best Picture. Sheen and the rest of the cast underwent an immersive military‑style boot camp lasting about 30 days, with strict control over food and water, minimal sleep, and blank‑fire exercises to simulate combat stress.
Vincent Canby of
The New York Times applauded Sheen's performance, saying the character was "beautifully played."
The Arizona Republic described the performance as "terrific" and
Newsday as "marvellous."
Variety review noted the similarities he has with his father Martin, making a comparison to his father's
Apocalypse Now performance. Both
Platoon and
Ferris Bueller were among the ten highest-grossing films of the year in the United States. His first post-
Platoon role was in the road film
Three for the Road (1987), which didn't get much attention and Sheen reportedly called it "the nadir" of his career. Despite negative reviews, the critics described Sheen's performance among the highlights and stronger points of the film. In the same year, he collaborated with
Oliver Stone again by starring opposite
Michael Douglas and his father Martin Sheen in the drama
Wall Street in which he played the role of Bud Fox, a young and ambitious stockbroker. The film received mostly positive reviews and was a commercial success.
The Washington Post review raved about his performance, "the younger Sheen, who walked wide-eyed through Stone's Vietnam, walks with similar innocence through [the film] and with his three-piece determination he's perfect as a greenhorn yuppie playing with the big guns."
The Hollywood Reporter review found him "commendably convincing".
Roger Ebert was more critical, citing Sheen's performance as the film's only flaw as he "never seems quite relentless enough to move in
Gekko's circle". However, in the same year, Ebert praised Sheen's performance in the crime drama ''
No Man's Land'' as "very good" and "charismatic". In 1988, Sheen was the part of two ensemble casts, where he played real-life figures. He starred in
John Sayles-directed baseball drama film
Eight Men Out (1988) as
Happy Felsch and opposite his brother Emilio in the western film
Young Guns as
Richard M. Brewer. In 1989, Sheen,
John Fusco,
Christopher Cain,
Lou Diamond Phillips, Emilio Estévez and
Kiefer Sutherland were honored with a
Bronze Wrangler for their work on the
Young Guns. An avid baseball player since his youth, Sheen has stated that he took the role in the critically acclaimed
Eight Men Out not for the money or career but only because of his love for baseball. He passed on
Bull Durham to do another baseball comedy film
Major League (1989), a critical and commercial success. Sheen's performance as Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn, which he also reprised in
the 1994 sequel, is often considered to be among his most-known characters.
Common Sense Media praised his comedic ability in the first film, by writing "Sheen shines as the rockin' closer with a lot of attitude."
Empire magazine review also highlighted Sheen for being "a delightful surprise at light comedy." In 1990, he starred alongside his father and brother, in the films directed by them respectively in the drama film
Cadence as a rebellious inmate in a military stockade and in the black comedy film
Men at Work as a garbageman who finds himself in trouble. In the same year, he had a cameo role in
Dennis Hopper's thriller film
Catchfire and a starring role with
Clint Eastwood in the
buddy cop film The Rookie, directed by Eastwood himself.
Owen Gleiberman from
Entertainment Weekly observed: "when Sheen slips over the edge and trashes a bar full of hooligan bikers, his performance suddenly comes to life; he should go psycho more often." He also took on the lead role in another action film
Navy SEALs (1990), which got a mostly negative reception.
Los Angeles Times review notes that Sheen's portrayal lacks psychological depth, describing his character as a "new-style psychopath" who casually terminates possibly innocent civilians without remorse. Despite this, Sheen's energetic performance adds a layer of gusto to the role. In a retrospective review in 2001,
IGN wrote that the role "is one of many which would forever change his reputation from a dedicated actor (see
Platoon or
Wall Street) to the fun-loving hell raiser image that first springs into our minds today." Sheen starred in the parody film
Hot Shots! (1991) and its sequel,
Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993), both huge commercial successes. Film critic
Janet Maslin praised Sheen, saying "[he] brings just the right exaggerated seriousness to his ace pilot's role" and
Kenneth Turan also praised his comic timing. In an interview with
Bobbie Wygant, Sheen stated that for
Part Deux, he underwent an intense physical regimen that included a strict diet, yoga, swimming, stationary biking, and general martial arts training. He described the program as an "insane" eight-hour-a-day, six-days-a-week routine that also involved a personal trainer for the first five weeks. Both films were among the highest-grossing films of their respective years. In 1993, he featured in the real-life inspired crime drama
Beyond the Law with
Linda Fiorentino and
Michael Madsen, where he played a disgraced former cop who goes undercover to infiltrate a violent biker gang involved in drug trafficking. Sheen turned down the roles in the sports comedy ''
White Men Can't Jump (1992) and the drama Indecent Proposal (1993), both roles went to Woody Harrelson. Instead, he began taking more action-oriented roles by the mid-90s, to mixed reception. He starred as Aramis in the new Disney version of The Three Musketeers (1993). Entertainment Weekly review described him as "reliably dry." The film was a commercial success but his follow-up action roles in The Chase (1994) and Terminal Velocity (1994) were box office flops. Regarding his performance in The Chase'', Roger Ebert has praised his "ability to play an almost impossible role in a fairly straight style". Film critic
James Berardinelli has also noted his "surprisingly effective chemistry" with co-star
Kristy Swanson. For
Terminal Velocity, Sheen received the highest salary of his movie career, earning $6 million. The film got mostly negative reviews, and Sheen's performance gained him mixed comments.
Entertainment Weekly review said, Sheen has some "fun" one-liners but generally, he gives "a boringly flat, square-jawed performance" whereas
Variety review felt "Sheen's glib, sexy persona suits the befuddled but courageous flyboy" and
Empire review found him "delightful." In 1996, Sheen has returned to the science fiction genre with the film
The Arrival, an initial box office flop which later gained
cult following.
The Los Angeles Times review praised Sheen's performance as the paranoid astronomer, saying it's the role he was "born to" play. James Berardinelli also praised Sheen's performance and noted that he carries the film "admirably."
IGN review was less impressed, finding him "over-the-top". Sheen also made his first sitcom appearance as a guest star in the second season of the popular television series
Friends. Despite later becoming a well-known sitcom star, Sheen was notably nervous during his first sitcom attempt in front of a live audience. His anxiety was so intense that filming had to pause. Nevertheless, Sheen's performance was well received, earning him spots on best guest stars of the show lists by
People magazine and
Looper. Sheen next starred in the political thriller
Shadow Conspiracy (1997), a commercial and critical failure.
Total Film review has described the film as Sheen's "latest attempt to send his career to the gas chamber". His next release, the
action comedy film
Money Talks (1997), co-starring
Chris Tucker, received mostly negative reviews but was his last box office success of the decade.
Variety review wrote "Sheen, in a considerably less flashy role, gives one of his better performances. He understands he's meant to be the calming influence in this scenario and perfectly effects the slick, slightly vain, low-key demeanor of CNN's
Linden Soles". He then began working primarily in the
direct-to-video market, often credited as Charles Sheen. His first role under that name was as a firefighter who harasses his neighbors in the thriller
Bad Day on the Block (1997), released as
Under Pressure in some markets.
The A.V. Club praised Sheen and co-star
Mare Winningham for delivering "surprisingly textured, multidimensional performances." Sheen's subsequent
Charles roles included the crime comedy
Free Money (1998, opposite
Marlon Brando in his final leading role), the serial killer thriller
Postmortem (1998, directed by
Albert Pyun); and the action film
No Code of Conduct (1998), which he co-wrote and produced. Sheen returned to the theatrical releases by playing a fictional version of himself in the
Spike Jonze film
Being John Malkovich (1999) in a performance that's been described as an "inspired cameo" by Roger Ebert.
PopMatters review highlighted Sheen's role as maintaining a "grim sort of reality," especially considering his real-life struggles at the time, which added depth to his performance. As a part of the ensemble cast, he was nominated for the
Actor Award for the
Outstanding Performance By a Cast.
2000–2012: Sitcom roles In the new millennium, Sheen has mostly moved to television roles. His first role was the Emilio Estevez-directed
Showtime biographical drama film
Rated X (2000), in which he and Emilio played pornographic industry entrepreneurs
Artie and Jim Mitchell, respectively.
Variety review gave high praise to their performances, by writing both actors do "an uncanny, genuinely impressive job".
New York Post review raved about their performances as "beyond good". His first sitcom lead attempt was a pilot for
ABC, called
Sugar Hill in 1999, which was not picked up. In 2000, Sheen first appeared on the small screen as a series regular when he replaced
Michael J. Fox for the last two seasons of the sitcom
Spin City. After Sheen joined, the show's ratings improved among younger viewers, especially the 18–34 demographic. Michael J. Fox has stated that Sheen has been doing a "great job" as his replacement. For his work on
Spin City, Sheen was nominated for two
ALMA Awards and won his first
Golden Globe for
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The series ended in 2002. He also appeared in
Scary Movie 3 (2003),
Scary Movie 4 (2006) and
Scary Movie 5 (2013) entries in the popular horror-spoof series
Scary Movie. In 2003, Sheen was cast as
Charlie Harper in the
CBS sitcom
Two and a Half Men, which followed the popular Monday night time slot of
Everybody Loves Raymond. Sheen's role on
Two and a Half Men was loosely based on Sheen's bad-boy image. Sheen's performance was well received.
USA Today review wrote "Sheen is so amusingly sardonic and cheerfully self-aware, he makes Charlie's immaturity endearing rather than annoying." The role garnered him an ALMA Award and he gained four
Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe award nominations.
Warner Bros. dismissal and publicity Production of
Two and a Half Men went on hiatus in January 2011 while Sheen underwent a substance rehabilitation program in his home, his third attempt at rehab in 12 months. The following month, CBS canceled the season's four remaining episodes after Sheen publicly made offensive comments about the series' creator,
Chuck Lorre, Sheen, already the highest-paid actor on television, claiming that in comparison to the amount that the series was making, he was "underpaid". He was replaced by
Ashton Kutcher. In the aftermath of his dismissal, Sheen continued to feud with Chuck Lorre, and filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Lorre and Warner Bros. Television, which was settled the following September 26. That same month, Sheen, while presenting an award at the
Primetime Emmy Awards, addressed "everybody here from
Two and a Half Men" and stated, "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." In 2012, Sheen returned to television in
Anger Management, the spin-off of the
film of the same name. The series ended after a 100-episode run in the second season. In the wake of the dismissal, Sheen had a highly publicized meltdown which was broadcast on television and the Internet. He made claims in television interviews suggesting that he was a "
warlock" with "tiger blood" and "
Adonis DNA", and that he was "winning". He also posted videos to YouTube showing himself smoking cigarettes through his nose, and cursing out his former employers. He told one television interviewer, "I'm tired of pretending I'm not special. I'm tired of pretending I'm not a total bitchin' rock star from
Mars." After being accused of
antisemitism in 2011, Sheen claimed that his mother was Jewish, although
Jewish Standard reporter Nate Bloom wrote that he found no evidence to support this and described Sheen's claim as "exceedingly unlikely". Sheen said later that year that his father was
Catholic and his mother was
Southern Baptist. Also that year, he played a role in the
hip hop music video "Steak & Mash Potatoes" by Chain Swangaz featuring
Brother Marquis. The video features both rappers as fast-food employees who create havoc while their boss (Sheen) is gone.
2012–present In 2012, Sheen was cast to star alongside
Jason Schwartzman and
Bill Murray in
Roman Coppola's surreal comedy film
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III. That same year he voiced Dex Dogtective in the
Lionsgate animated comedy
Foodfight (2012). Sheen's next feature film project was the
ensemble film 9/11 (2017), an adaptation of the
9/11 stage play Elevator written by Patrick Carson. The film also featured
Whoopi Goldberg,
Gina Gershon,
Luis Guzmán,
Wood Harris,
Jacqueline Bisset, and
Bruce Davison. Sheen's performance gained mixed reviews. Film critic
Alonso Duralde of
TheWrap wrote Sheen now "lacks the vitality he once brought to the screen, but neither does he embarrass himself." In October 2018, Sheen flew to Australia for his "An Evening with Charlie Sheen" tour. During this time, he filmed an advert for car servicing company
Ultra Tune, which was the next installment in their controversial "Unexpected Situations" series alongside Parnia Porsche, Laura Lydall, Tyana Hansen, and Imogen Lovell. In 2025 a two-part documentary about Sheen titled
aka Charlie Sheen was released on
Netflix. ==Other ventures==