14 DAY TRIAL // CBS may have pulled the plug on “Two and a Half Men” after Charlie Sheen was fired but that’s not to say they’re not looking for a replacement. In fact, the network offered British actor Hugh Grant $1 million per episode to take over for Charlie Sheen as the lead in the series.
Though several names have been linked to the now-defunct show, Grant’s was never brought up. As it turns out, he came very close to walking miles in Sheen’s shoes, PopEater says, citing ongoing reports in the US media.
Moreover, he may have turned down the offer for now because of creative difference, but there’s still some chance that he will take it up later on, should the network be willing to make some concessions.
“Romantic comedy go-to guy Hugh Grant was in final negotiations to replace Charlie Sheen on ‘Two and a Half Men,’ according to Deadline, which reports Grant was offered $1 million per episode to take over for the troubled star,” PopEater says.
The e-zine argues that Grant would have been the perfect choice: he’s an “A-lister” (or was one a few years back, depending on what one believes), he’s funny and he’s currently not otherwise engaged.
Of course, bringing Grant on board would have also meant taking the show into an entirely different direction, and chances are fans of the original show wouldn’t have appreciated it that much, PopEater points out.
“[Showrunner Chuck] Lorre has considered ending ‘Men’ entirely, and only wants to move forward with a reboot of the show ‘if he can find the right actor and get excited about that,’ sources close to ‘Men’ tell Deadline. Also important to Lorre is that Sheen’s replacement is ‘somebody Chuck can work with’,” the same report says.
As of now, the series is dead in the water until CBS can come up with someone to take over for Sheen. As far as he’s concerned, he’s saying he can’t even think about a new show because he felt “cheated” with “Men.”