‘He Was In The Line Of Fire’: Charlie Sheen Admits To Derailing ‘Two And A Half Men’ Costar Jon Cryer

Charlie Sheen admitted he hurt Jon Cryer during their years on “Two and a Half Men” and said he regrets the fallout, even though the two haven’t spoken in more than a decade.

Sheen’s substance abuse led to a public meltdown and his 2011 firing from the hit CBS sitcom, leaving the cast and crew uncertain about the show’s future. His tirades against producer Chuck Lorre also strained the relationship with Cryer, who starred opposite him. In Thursday interview with People, Sheen acknowledged his past mistakes and extended an olive branch to his former co-star. (RELATED: ‘Finally Ready To Confess’: Charlie Sheen Teases Drama-Packed Documentary)

“When I saw everything that Jon spoke about, so honestly and very compassionately, I wrote to him and I said, ‘Hey, thank you for your contributions, and I’m sorry we didn’t connect personally,’” Sheen told People.

His message went unanswered, as years had passed and he no longer had Cryer’s correct number.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 09: Actors Jon Cryer (L) and Charlie Sheen accept the award for Favorite TV Comedy for “Two and a Half Men” onstage during the 33rd Annual People’s Choice Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on January 9, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Sheen, now eight years sober, said his outlook has changed. He’s releasing a memoir, “The Book of Sheen,” on Tuesday, with a Netflix documentary debuting the next day. Cryer appears in the film and offers a candid account of how Sheen’s addiction struggles affected him both personally and professionally.

Sheen admitted his public unraveling derailed the sitcom and disrupted Cryer’s career, and he thanked his former co-star for speaking candidly in the documentary.

“It was really cool to hear from his perspective,” he said. “He was in the line of fire with all that stupid shit going on, and it was affecting him and his family and his career and all that. I can’t debate anything that he said.”

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA – APRIL 19: Actor Charlie Sheen accepts the Future Classic Award for “Two and a Half Men” onstage at the 7th Annual TV Land Awards held at Gibson Amphitheatre on April 19, 2009 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Cryer suggested Sheen’s addiction was fueled by his lack of self-belief — a point Sheen said struck him hard.

“He nailed that, and I’m so glad he opened that door, because it gave me a chance to really start thinking about that,” Sheen told People. “He said, ‘He’s a guy that doesn’t believe he deserves the things he has, or that it was he earned,’ and I was like, ‘Whoa.’”

“Suddenly, I felt like I was on a couch in Jon’s therapy office, and he was dead on,” he continued. “That’s something that I’ve felt my whole life, because I had no formal training. I had no formal education, I didn’t even finish high school. And suddenly I’m working and traveling, I’m a star and all this stuff.”

“It just happened. There was no plan. And there was always the voice of doubt there, telling me it’s only a matter of time before this all goes away, so to enjoy this as heartily as you can,” Sheen said.

Sheen praised Cryer’s comments as “really insightful” and “compassionate.”

Cryer admitted he was nervous to speak about Sheen, fearing he might relapse.

“I think he’s justified to feel that way, because that’s kind of the historical pattern, but that’s not the case today,” Sheen said. “And I’m going to go out of my way to make him wrong every single day.”