Key Points

Jon Cryer just revealed a massive pay disparity from his Two and a Half Men days. He earned only a third of what Charlie Sheen was making per episode. Cryer compared Sheen's chaotic negotiation tactics to those of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il. Sheen himself admitted in the documentary that he felt emotionally drained before his eventual firing.

Key Points: Jon Cryer Paid Third of Charlie Sheen Two and a Half Men Salary

  • Cryer earned only one-third of Sheen's salary despite co-starring
  • Compared Sheen's negotiation tactics to North Korea's Kim Jong-Il
  • CBS had pre-sold extra seasons incentivizing Sheen's high pay
  • Sheen reflected feeling emotionally done before his infamous firing
3 min read

Jon Cryer says he was only paid a third of what Charlie Sheen was making for 'Two and a Half Men'

Jon Cryer reveals he earned only a third of Charlie Sheen's massive Two and a Half Men salary, comparing Sheen's negotiations to North Korea's Kim Jong-Il.

"Me, whose life was pretty good at that time, I got a third of that - Jon Cryer"

Washington DC, September 16

Actors Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheenshared screen space in the TV sitcom 'Two and a Half Men', created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn. However, Jon Cryer's salary was a pittance compared to Charlie Sheen's payday, reported People.

Washington DC [US], September 16 (ANI): Actors Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheen shared screen space in the TV sitcom 'Two and a Half Men', created by Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn. However, Jon Cryer's salary was a pittance compared to Charlie Sheen's payday, reported People.

"He's in the midst of falling apart in every way that I can imagine, and he's renegotiating his contract for another year of a show that I'm supposed to be on, too," Cryer recalled in the new Netflix documentary, as per the outlet.

Cryer likened the 'Wall Street' star to a former prominent dictator.

"The dictator of North Korea was a guy named Kim Jong-Il. He acted crazy all the time and thus got enormous amounts of aid from countries that were so scared of him that they would shovel money at him," Cryer said. "Well, that's what happened here. Sheen's negotiations went off the charts because his life was falling apart. Me, whose life was pretty good at that time, I got a third of that," as quoted by People.

Sheen was later dismissed from the show in 2011 due in large part to his off-camera struggles, in which he publicly criticised show creator Chuck Lorre. Sheen famously said he had "tiger blood" and was "winning." He also said he was underpaid, despite being the highest-paid actor on TV.

In the documentary, Cryer revealed that CBS had "pre-sold a couple extra seasons of the show," so the network had an incentive to "spend this astonishing amount of money on Charlie."

For his part, Sheen candidly reflected on that era in his life and his thoughts toward Two and a Half Men.

"I remember saying, 'Dude, I dunno man. I'm feeling emotionally done there,' " he says in the doc. "'And I get there's a ton of money at stake, and I get there's a lot more juice to be squeezed out of this thing, but I don't know how much juice is left in me. And I do fear if I go back, it's gonna go terribly wrong.' I said those words," reported People.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The Kim Jong-Il comparison is actually quite brilliant! Shows how toxic behavior gets rewarded while stable professionals get taken for granted. Classic corporate mentality everywhere.
M
Michael C
Sheen was the bigger star though - that's show business. But paying someone only 1/3rd when they're both lead actors does seem unfair. The network clearly prioritized keeping the troubled star happy.
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Ananya R
Reminds me of our Bollywood industry where top stars get insane money while supporting actors struggle. At least Cryer got paid well by normal standards, but the disparity must hurt.
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Sarah B
Respect to Cryer for speaking up years later. Many would stay quiet to avoid controversy. This transparency helps other actors negotiate better deals.
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Vikram M
"Tiger blood" era Sheen was pure entertainment but clearly unstable. Networks will always pay more to keep problematic stars who bring ratings. Sad reality of entertainment business.

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