Martin Sheen to Join ‘Anger Management’ as Charlie Sheen’s Dad
Dr. Charlie Goodson, the therapist played by Charlie Sheen in “Anger Management,” is getting a onscreen father — one played by Sheen’s real-life parent Martin Sheen.
Yes, the older Sheen will first appear as Charlie’s dad in the ninth episode of this season, slated to air on August 16th, and will be on board as a regular cast member should the series get renewed. Appearing on stage at the TCA Summer Press Tour on behalf of the show, Charlie Sheen reportedly seemed as rueful and well-behaved as he had been wild and erratic last year following his firing from “Two and a Half Men.” Of his “My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not an Option” spring 2011 tour, he told the crowd, “Don’t go on the road with a one-man show in 21 cities without an act.”
“Anger Management,” which has gotten a mixed to negative response from critics (several of whom called out its predictability) but has gone over well with audiences — the 5.74 million viewers that watched its premiere made it the most-watched scripted comedy broadcast in cable history.
While FX has yet to announce a renewal of “Anger Management,” signs look favorable — which means, due to an unusual deal, that the series will be picked up for an additional 90 episodes, dependent on the first season meeting an undisclosed ratings threshold. Hey, if a conventional, laugh-tracked sitcom that also serves as image rehabilitation for its star can help make more “Louie,” who’s to complain? 100 episodes is, of course, the traditional threshold at which a TV series becomes viable for syndication.
Martin Sheen recently played an on-screen father to his other famous son in the 2010 indie film “The Way,” written and directed by Emilio Estevez. Estevez appeared briefly in the film as Sheen’s character’s estranged son, whose body the older man goes to retrieve after he’s killed in a storm in the Pyrenees while walking the Camino de Santiago.
