Charlie Sheen will be re-joining Chuck Lorre for new HBO Max (soon to be renamed Max) single-camera comedy sitcom, How To Be A Bookie. Sebastian Maniscalco is set to headline the series.
Though Sheen’s character on the show has yet to be confirmed, it is known that the actor will have a recurring role in the series. He will star alongside Maniscalco, Omar J. Dorsey, Jorge Garcia, Andrea Anders, Vanessa Ferlito, and Maxim Swinton.
The role is part of a TV comeback for Sheen and comes twelve years after his infamous clash and subsequent lawsuit with Lorre while filming the eighth season of Two And A Half Men, in which Sheen starred, and Lorre co-created and executive produced.
Once the highest paid comic actor on TV, things went sour for Sheen after a public meltdown in 2011. In a string of interviews he claimed to possess “tiger blood” and that he was a “warlock.” This, in addition to his derogatory remarks about Lorre, resulted in Sheen being fired from Two And A Half Men. He later filed a $100 million wrongful termination lawsuit against Warner Brothers and the showrunner, which was settled out of court. Sheen has since expressed regret for his actions, as well as hopes for a reconciliation with Lorre, which seems to have happened.
Co-written by Lorre (The Big Bang Theory) and Nick Backay (Mom, Young Sheldon), How To Be A Bookie revolves around a veteran bookie (Maniscalco) who struggles to survive the imminent legalisation of sports gambling, increasingly unstable clients, family, co-workers, and a lifestyle that bounces him around the high and low corners of Los Angeles.
Sheen is also set to star in dramady series Ramble On alongside a large cast. It includes his father Martin Sheen, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Kimiko Glen, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and Ana Ortiz among many others. The series was created by Entourage creator, Doug Ellin, and follows both established stars intending to reinvent their careers, and aspiring performers looking to make their own names.
No release date has been given for How To Be A Bookie, but Deadline has confirmed the series is currently in production.
Words by Faye Price
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