Charlie Sheen Demands Pay Hike, Threatens to Sue

Actor Charlie Sheen demanded a pay rise to return to his halted TV show "Two and A Half Men" and threatened to sue network CBS in two rambling and self-aggrandizing interviews aired on Monday.

The troubled star, whose erratic behavior has put the future of his top-rated comedy in jeopardy, spoke about problems with his TV show, boasted about his lifestyle, and said he was tired of pretending he is not "a total frigging rock star from Mars."

CBS canceled production of "Two and A Half Men" for the rest of the season last week after Sheen made expletive-filled attacks on the show's producer and co-creator.

Sheen told ABC news in an interview aired on "Good Morning America" on Monday that he would defend himself through "violent hatred" and he felt let down the show was stopped.

"I was actually disappointed," Sheen said. "People misinterpret my passion for anger."

Asked if he would sue, he said: "Wouldn't you? I don't have a job. I have a whole family to support and love ... I am here to collect and they are going to lose."

He said his attack on producer Chuck Lorre, which some suggested had anti-Semitic overtones, had been misinterpreted.

"I feel terrible about it," he said before addressing Lorre directly. "I just thought, you know, after you wailing on me for eight years, that I could, like, take a few shots back. I didn't know you were gonna take your little ball and go home and punish everybody in the process."

Warner Bros Television, which makes "Two and A Half Men", said it had no comment on Sheen's latest remarks. CBS was silent.

Sheen told the "Today" show that he was misunderstood.

"It's like, everybody thinks I should be begging for my job back, and I'm just going to forewarn them that it's everybody else that's going to be begging me for their job back."

Speculation has been rife about the future of "Two and A Half Men" -- or at least Sheen's lead role in it as a womanizing bachelor.

Sheen, who is already the highest paid actor on U.S. television, told the "Today" show that to go back to the comedy he would need a pay rise, saying the roughly $2 million per episode he makes now is too low.

"I am a man of my word, so I will finish the TV show. I'll even do Season 10, but at this point, (because of) psychological distress, oh my God, it's 3 mil an episode. Take it or leave it," he said.

"I'm tired of pretending like I'm not special," Sheen added. "You can't process me with a normal brain."

Production of "Two and a Half Men" was first suspended in January when Sheen, 45, was persuaded to seek help after a 36-hour cocaine-fueled party at his home.

ABC News and celebrity website Radaronline had Sheen's blood and urine tested, and revealed no drugs in his system for the past 72 hours.

"I am on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. It's not available because if you try it once, you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body," he said in the ABC interview.

The last time he took drugs, which he estimated to be about a month to six weeks ago, Sheen said he was "banging seven gram rocks and finishing them because that is how I roll."

He was now bored with drugs, he said, but boasted about his old partying ways. "The run I was on made Sinatra, Flynn, Jagger, Richards, all of them just look like droopy-eyed armless children."

CBS and Warner Bros. Television said last week they decided to discontinue production of "Two and a Half Men" based on Sheen's statements, conduct and condition. CBS is a unit of CBS Corp (CBS.N) and Warner Bros Television is part of the Warner Bros unit of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N).