Two And a Half Men's Awful Working Conditions Robbed Fans Of Melanie Lynskey

Summary:

• The sitcom Two and a Half Men is known for its scandals – Charlie Sheen's scandalous behavior and subsequent firing, and Angus T. Jones' criticism of the show.
• Melanie Lynskey, who played Rose, admitted that she was being paid the minimum possible salary and that the terms of her contract prevented her from participating in other projects.
• After long negotiations, the actress was able to sign a new contract, reduce her participation in the sitcom and get the opportunity to take part in other films and TV series.

The title Two and a Half Men (two men and a growing boy who was yet to become a man), as it turned out later, was too specific for one of Chuck Lorre's most popular sitcoms.

Sooner or later, this ship was bound to run aground for biological reasons, but the first breach came sooner than expected. The main show star Charlie Sheen's addiction to drugs and alcohol sent him to rehab. As a result, production had to be halted and the producers lost millions of dollars.

As a result, the producers decided it would be easier to fire Sheen than to calm him down: his character was killed and a new character played by Ashton Kutcher was put in his place.

The ratings went up because of the conflict, but then a new problem arose. Angus T. Jones, the "half," grew up to publicly criticize the show. His character also had to be removed, leaving Jon Cryer's character as the only one of the titular cast of Two and a Half Men to take the rap for the now meaningless title.

Melanie Lynskey’s Experience Was Worse Than You Expected

Now it's the turn of Melanie Lynskey, who played Rose, to criticize the show. The actress admitted that her experience on the show was not the most pleasant or easy (and not because of Charlie Sheen). In an interview with Vulture, Melanie revealed that she was paid minimum wage despite being a recurring character:

“It was literally the least they could possibly pay me, according to SAG. I did one season, and I thought, Oh, this is not for me.”

According to the actress, even though she did not appear in every episode, the contract prevented her from participating in other projects. Moreover, while Lynskey initially thought that filming a sitcom would be a fun experience, it turned out to be anything but.

So at the end of the first season, Melanie decided to tell Chuck Lorre that she wanted to leave, but the producer assured the actress that her character would have a lot of development in the second season. As it turned out, that development included a single episode in second season, which ultimately convinced Lynskey that she had to leave.

After long and painful negotiations that lasted about a year, Melanie was able to sign a new contract that reduced her time on Two and a Half Men and allowed her to work on other projects.

Source: Vulture