Actor Charlie Sheen has revealed why his famous father and brother were nowhere to be seen in his new Netflix documentary, aka Charlie Sheen, which began streaming Wednesday.
The Wall Street actor’s documentary features his former wives and co-stars, but his actor father Martin Sheen and older brother Emilio Estévez were not included. The documentary also featured a message that clarified “Martin Sheen and Emilio Estévez declined to participate.”
Charlie, 60, said he “completely understands” his family members’ decision to sit out the documentary.
“Emilio and Dad, they fully support me. They’re rooting for me in ways you can’t even imagine,” the actor said in the documentary. “But I can’t expect people to revisit all the drug abuse and all the s----y choices that hurt the people I love. Would I love them both in this? Absolutely. But I completely understand why they chose not to.”
The documentary aims to be a tell-all into the Platoon star’s decades-long battle against addiction, highlighting the actor’s rise and fall. The star, now eight years sober, has previously spoken on how his drug addiction has strained his relationships, including with his father.
“I can’t imagine being my dad. I can’t even imagine it. We banged heads a lot over the years,” Charlie recalled.
Martin, 85, who has also struggled with addiction, was mentioned frequently throughout the show. Charlie discussed a specific moment when Martin suffered a minor heart attack after being heavily intoxicated while filming the 1979 action film Apocalypse Now.
“When we came back to the Philippines and saw him for the first time, he was taking baby steps on a cane,” Charlie recounted. “And he was crying, and he was devoid of that dad light. It was gone… He credits me with having a major hand in helping him during his rehab.”
Despite Martin’s decision to decline the interview, Charlie has shared that he hopes his father will still watch the documentary, which Charlie had dedicated to his father.
“I think it is hard for sons to always share with their fathers what is truly in their hearts,” he said. “I hope he sees some of this as the love letter to him that it is.”
“We came to a place that’s been beautiful. It has been nourishing. If I could put it into one word: gratitude,” Charlie said.
The two-part documentary still features many from Charlie’s inner circle. Charlie’s older brother Ramon Estevez participated, along with his former wives Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller and their kids: daughter Lola, whom he shares with Richards, and son Bob, whom he shares with Mueller. Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre and actor Jon Cryer were also featured in the documentary.
