Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · September 15, 2025 · Entertainment

Jon Cryer Exposes Salary Gap: Earning Only a Third of Charlie Sheen’s $1.9M Per Episode

Charlie Sheen's former Two and a Half Men co-star Jon Cryer has opened up about earning significantly less than him on their hit sitcom; Cryer pictured in March

EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Sheen's Former Co-Star Spills Tea on His Outrageous Salary, Comparing Him to a Dictator

The world of Hollywood is always buzzing with drama and intrigue, but in this case, it's the behind-the-scenes secrets that are making headlines. Jon Cryer, the 60-year-old actor who starred alongside Charlie Sheen in the hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men," has opened up about the jaw-dropping salary disparity between him and his troubled co-star.

In an explosive new Netflix documentary titled "aka Charlie Sheen," Cryer shares shocking details about how he earned a paltry one-third of Sheen's massive salary, which reached as high as $1.9 million per episode at its peak. Meanwhile, Cryer was only pocketing a measly $620,000 per episode, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

L-R Sheen, Cryer, and Angus T. Jones pictured on the sitcom in 2003

The staggering difference in pay has left many wondering how this could have happened, especially considering that Cryer was a crucial part of the show's success alongside Sheen. But what's even more astonishing is that Sheen was reportedly able to negotiate such an astronomical salary despite his well-documented personal struggles at the time.

"It's like he was a dictator," Cryer compares Sheen to Kim Jong-Il, stating that "he acted crazy all the time and thus got enormous amounts of aid from countries who were so scared of him that they would shovel money at him." This is eerily reminiscent of how Sheen's life was spiraling out of control during his time on the show. His antics, including public feuds with show creator Chuck Lorre, ultimately led to his ousting in 2011.

But Cryer isn't the only one speaking out about Sheen's outrageous salary demands. In an exclusive clip from "aka Charlie Sheen," Sheen himself admits that he was feeling emotionally burnt out during his final season on the show. "I remember saying, 'Dude, I dunno man. I'm feeling emotionally done there. And I get there's a ton of money at stake, and I get there's a lot more juice to be squeezed out of this thing, but I don't know how much juice is left in me. And I do fear if I go back, it's gonna go terribly wrong,'" he confesses.

In a new Netflix documentary, titled aka Charlie Sheen, Cryer detailed how he felt about the pay discrepancy; Sheen pictured at the documentary premiere on September 4

The documentary also sheds light on the motives behind CBS's willingness to shell out such an enormous sum for Sheen's services. It turns out that the network had already pre-sold a few extra seasons of the show, giving them even more incentive to keep paying top dollar for Sheen's erratic behavior.

In a bizarre twist, Sheen's daughter Sami, 21, has revealed that her father claimed to have given up alcohol and drugs for her sake. "I didn't know I was the reason he got sober," she says in a TikTok video, leaving fans stunned by this new revelation.

As it turns out, Sheen's memoir, "The Book of Sheen: A Memoir," which coincided with the documentary release on September 10, contains some explosive claims. In one passage, Sheen writes about his struggles with addiction and how he would often get caught up in compromising situations due to his substance abuse.

Sheen was let go from the television comedy in 2011 after he publicly criticized show creator Chuck Lorre; Sheen, Jones, and Cryer pictured in 2009

"I was on my third Macallan-spiked coffee by 9 am... My phone rang and when I picked up, it was my daughter Sam asking what time we were leaving. S*; her appointment that day had slipped my mind," he writes in the memoir.

But what's truly striking is the sheer number of Sheen's children – five to be exact! – whom he shares with three different women: Denise Richards (twins Sami and Lola), Brooke Mueller (twins Bob and Max), and Paula Profit (Cassandra Estevez).

It seems that Charlie Sheen's drama-filled life has finally come full circle, leaving fans wondering what other secrets will surface in the coming days. As for Cryer, he's undoubtedly got a story to tell – one that we can't wait to hear more about.

Sheen's 21-year-old daughter Sami, whom he shares with ex-wife Denise Richards, is a main reason he got sober

Sources:

  • The Hollywood Reporter
  • Netflix documentary "aka Charlie Sheen"
  • Sheen's memoir "The Book of Sheen: A Memoir"