Charlie Sheen started his career quite early on, which means that he got front row seats to witness the entertainment industry develop and expand. His years in the industry have definitely paid off as the actor boasts quite the portfolio. The actor received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role as Charlie Crawford on ABC’s Spin City. In addition, Sheen has multiple Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations for his role as Charlie Harper in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. Back in 2010, Sheen also earned the title of the highest paid actor on television, earning around $1.8 million per episode. Let’s take a look at some of Charlie Sheen’s best performances throughout his career:
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5 Men at Work (1990)
Triumph Films
Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, who interestingly also starred as the main lead, Men at Work is an American action-comedy-thriller film. The movie follows Sheen and Estevez, who portray two garbage men that goof around on the streets. The comedic tone shifts a little when the two garbage men find a local politician’s corpse in one of the trash cans. Thinking of this as their way to a better life, the duo decide to play detective to uncover the truth and as a consequence end up getting tangled up in a complicated web that involves a toxic waste cover-up.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Through his performance as Carl, Sheen is able to invoke a variety of emotions from the audience. His portrayal of Carl and James’ relationship mainly leaves the audience clutching their stomachs as they laugh at the two wreaking havoc on the streets. In addition, the audience gets to see a different side; a softer one, when he’s interacting with his love interest, Susan. The scene at the beach is particularly heart-warming.
4 Major League (1989)
Paramount Pictures20th Century Studios
Comedy is one genre that Charlie Sheen has no doubt perfected his performance in. His role as Ricky in the 1989 American sports comedy film Major League is no exception. The movie is the first in a trilogy and follows the exploits of a Cleveland baseball team. Sheen plays the part of pitcher, Ricky Vaughn, who is a convicted felon fresh out of prison. Ricky gathers quite the fanbase for himself with his fastball skills. It even earns him the nickname “Wild Thing”, and he even has a musical number of the same name dedicated to him. During the initial portion of the film, Sheen’s character is seen struggling to control his pitch, but eventually, it is revealed that the cause of it is a visual impairment. The final game is definitely one of the more thrilling moments of the movie, particularly when Ricky is called onto the field and “Wild Thing” starts playing. He easily strikes out the opposing player in three pitches. Sheen’s character in the movie is rather endearing and amusing, immediately becoming a favorite for the audience.
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3 Hot Shots! (1991)
20th Century Studios
Directed by Jim Abrahams, Hot Shots! is an American comedy film that parodies the popular action film Top Gun. The movie follows a former US Navy pilot Topper Harley, portrayed by Charlie Sheen, who becomes a pawn in an arms manufacturing conspiracy. Sheen does a great job with his deadpan delivery, amusing the audience to no end. But the actor also does well to portray some of the more serious elements in the movie. For instance, Sheen really awes the audience with his portrayal of Topper’s insecurity to live up to his father’s reputation. The icing on the cake is Sheen’s chemistry with co-star Valeria Golino. Fans of Sheen would also be delighted to discover that Sheen’s co-star from Two and a Half Men, Jon Cryer also makes an appearance in the movie.
2 Platoon (1986)
Orion Pictures
Written and directed by Oliver Stone, Platoon is a 1986 American war film that’s based on Stone’s experience during the Vietnam War. The movie follows a U.S. Army volunteer, portrayed by Sheen, who initially holds an idealist view, but soon begins to question the morality of not only his own platoon but the whole war itself. Perhaps one of Sheen’s best performances throughout his career, the audience gets to see how the actor was talented from the get-go. Through his performance, Sheen is able to portray an American soldier who is torn with the morality of his actions. In one scene in particular, when Sheen’s character has to confront a villager and his mother, the audience can see the conflict in his expressions. He’s trying to portray an aggressive, macho front, but is failing at it as he realizes that he’s ultimately harming innocent people. Platoon was nominated for eight Academy Awards, and won four of these nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound, and Best Film Editing.
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1 Wall Street (1987)
Wall Street is another one of Oliver Stone’s gems. Co-written and directed by Stone, Wall Street follows the story of a young stockbroker Bud Fox, portrayed by Sheen, who gets involved with a wealthy, immoral corporate raider. Sheen does a spectacular job at portraying the young aspirant who gets caught up in a complicated game, with greed getting the better of him. It’s interesting to see Sheen’s character eventually struggle with the morality of his options as he realizes that his actions might push the company to go bankrupt, leaving many to be unemployed. It’s rather fascinating to see Sheen being swept up in glory and greed during the initial scenes, but then as the hazy cloud lifts, we see him begin to question his actions.
