This Star Wishes They Could Forget About Their Big Bang Theory Cameo
Over its years on the air, The Big Bang Theory had hundreds of cameo appearances, including some adorably nerdy ones – Adam West, Mark Hamill, and William Shatner all belong in the pantheon of Geek Gods, and all of them appeared on TBBT at some point.
Other cameos were less geeky but still involved pretty famous faces. Charlie Sheen was one. His juggernaut sitcom Two and a Half Men aired before TBBT's slot, which meant that when TBBT was new it had the advantage of a huge lead-in audience.
Sheen later said that he should have gotten a cut of TBBT's profits, given that it was his own star vehicle that brought a lot of viewers to the table. (Chuck Lorre, who created both Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory , would probably disagree with the assessment that Sheen was the least bit responsible).
Perhaps as a nod to the Two and a Half Men audience, or perhaps simply because he was a famous face, Charlie Sheen was offered a cameo spot in The Big Bang Theory episode "The Griffin Equivalency." Here, Raj is lounging at the Cheesecake Factory bragging about his inclusion in an upcoming issue of People Magazine. Sheen spins in his seat, revealing his famous face, and scoffs that Raj should call him when he's on the cover.
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As cameos go, it was pretty short – basically a single punchline – but oh boy has Sheen never forgotten about it. He's also never stopped putting down The Big Bang Theory or its creator. In a 2013 Guardian interview, Sheen threw a ton of shade on Lorre, the Two and a Half Men process, and his brief cameo on TBBT. On the latter, he said:
I'm sorry, but Big Bang Theory is a piece of s**t – it's a stupid show and it's just lame, about lame people. I like the kids in it, but that show without us as a lead-in is… goodbye.
Sheen then claimed that Lorre is quite difficult to work with (Sheen can talk), as well as a "bad man" whose presence on Two and a Half Men caused mental distress, production delays, and at least one divorce. Of course, most people know that Sheen himself is no angel – three years after "The Griffin Equivalency" aired, he was dismissed from Two and a Half Men for his snowballing series of scandals including alcohol and drug abuse as well as allegations of domestic violence.
Charlie Sheen may like to say that he wishes he could forget about his Big Bang Theory cameo. But clearly, there are much bigger regrets he should be focused on.