How Chuck Lorre reunited with Charlie Sheen for new Max comedy series

After starring in Two and a Half Men for eight seasons, Charlie Sheen had a very public falling out with series creator Chuck Lorre which led to the actor being fired from the series. We all know what happened next; Winning. Tiger Blood. Total bitchin’ rock star from Mars. So when it was announced that Charlie Sheen would be reuniting with Chuck Lorre for his new Max comedy series How to be a Bookie, people were more than a little shocked.

How to be a Bookie stars Sebastian Maniscalco as a Los Angeles sports betting bookie and the script included a role for a high-rolling celebrity gambler. Chuck Lorre told Variety that he just felt like Charlie Sheen would be perfect for the role. “It should be Charlie,” Lorre said. “I remember Charlie was very much engaged in in sports betting and he would tell me stories about it all the time. You know, when things were good.” At the time, the pair hadn’t spoken in more than a decade, but when Lorre contacted Sheen’s representation, it turns out that the actor was also ready to make amends.

“I was nervous, but almost as soon as we started talking, I remembered, we were friends once,” Lorre said. “And that friendship just suddenly seemed to be there again. I don’t want to be too mawkish about it, but it was healing. And he was also totally game to make fun of himself. When he came to the table read of that episode, I walked up, and we hugged. It was just great.“

How to be a Bookie co-creator Nick Bakay was onboard with the idea, but admitted that he was nervous at first. “Look, there’s a wild-card factor there that you would be bullshit if you weren’t copping to,” he said. “There’s that sense of, who’s showing up? What’s this gonna be? I haven’t seen him work in a long time. But he looked great. He was easy and charming and then proceeded to put on a clinic of how you do a table read. Your first table read of your first episode of a new show, is a bit of a high blood pressure event to begin with.” Lorre added, “He proceeded to kill it at the table read. His chops were just so finely tuned, as if we had not missed a beat.“

How to be a Bookie will debut on Max on November 30th.