Charlie Sheen has opened up about his turbulent life in a new memoir and Netflix documentary, detailing a near-death birth, early drug use, and his path to sobriety. The 60-year-old actor, born into Hollywood royalty as the son of Martin Sheen, released The Book of Sheen on 9 September, followed by the documentary aka Charlie Sheen on 10 September.
Sheen reveals that he nearly died at birth after his umbilical cord became wrapped around his neck. The doctor who saved his life was named Irwin Shaybone, and in his honour, his parents named him Carlos Irwin Estévez. He also writes frankly about losing his virginity to a sex worker in Las Vegas while still in high school, using his father's credit card while his father slept in the next hotel room.
The actor explains that he chose to adopt the surname Sheen as a tribute to his father, who had also changed his name from Estévez. 'I wanted to honour him by carrying the name forward,' Sheen writes, adding that the change also allowed him to 'slam the door' on past academic and athletic failures associated with his birth name.
Sheen's struggles with addiction are a central theme. He first smoked marijuana at age 11 and was arrested at 15 for possessing a bong. He tried cocaine while filming the Vietnam war drama Platoon in the Philippines, describing it as a 'hair-on-fire obsession'. He later became addicted to crack, which he says took him to 'another galaxy'. In the documentary, he admits that he began taking acting roles solely to fund his drug habit.
The documentary also features a startling anecdote from Sheen's honeymoon with his first wife, Donna Peele, in 1995. During a flight, he was invited into the cockpit and briefly flew the plane after the captain switched off the autopilot. Sheen recalls feeling 'untouchable' in that moment, a feeling that mirrored his reckless lifestyle. Now sober, Sheen reflects on his past with brutal honesty.
