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Summary
- Galecki considered boycotting the Emmys due to Sheen's presence, but ultimately decided to attend.
- Sheen's public meltdown impacted the wider TV community, causing production disasters and job insecurities.
- Galecki was nervous about interacting with Sheen at the Emmys due to Sheen's past controversial statements.
It’s been over a decade since Charlie Sheen’s acrimonious exit from Two and a Half Men sent shockwaves through Hollywood, yet it’s still widely considered one of the most dramatic TV firings of all time. Though the now 58-year-old was ultimately replaced with Ashton Kutcher, his departure created a major production disaster for the cast and crew, aggravating everyone from Warner Bros to show creator Chuck Lorre and Sheen’s co-star Jon Cryer.
But the fallout wasn't limited to just the show itself. Turns out, The Big Bang Theory’s Johnny Galecki was also secretly infuriated by Sheen's public meltdown. In this article, we’ll take a look at Galecki’s reaction to Sheen’s tumultuous exit from Two and a Half Men, delving into why he considered boycotting the 2011 Emmys over Sheen, and whether he was nervous about interacting with Sheen at the prestigious awards ceremony when he finally decided to attend.
Charlie Sheen’s Dramatic Exit From Two And A Half Men Didn’t Sit Well With Johnny Galecki
With two Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations and a per-episode salary hitting a jaw-dropping $1.8 million, playing Charlie Harper on Two and a Half Men was certainly a goldmine for Charlie Sheen. Everything came crashing down when Warner Bros. axed the now 58-year-old’s contract, citing "dangerously self-destructive conduct.”
While Sheen’s departure is often discussed for its immediate drama, its impact on the wider TV community was far from insignificant.
As it turns out, Sheen had become so pivotal to the show’s success, his exit created a major production disaster, leaving the livelihoods of the cast and crew hanging in the balance.
But it wasn’t just the Two and a Half Men team who felt the pinch. While he kept his frustrations private at the time, The Big Bang Theory's Johnny Galecki was also feeling the sting of Sheen’s implosion. In his interview for 'The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series', Galecki revealed just how profoundly Sheen’s meltdown impacted him and his colleagues.
“The Charlie Sheen debacle was also happening, so between seeing how that affected the crew, and seeing Kaley’s accident—as much as she was an absolute f**king trooper—it taught the entire cast, myself included, a lesson of how these things affect two hundred people.”

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Galecki's sentiments echo those of Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer. Speaking to The View's Alyssa Farah Griffin about the prospect of a Two and a Half Men reboot, Cryer reflected on Sheen's spiral and how close it came to upending the lives of the show's cast and crew.
"It was one of the first internet s**tstorms, plus there's the fact that all of our jobs are tied into this guy, and we're all his friends. It was very, very strange. [There were] aspects of it that I absolutely hated, but you know, I'm thankful for the years that were great."
Did Johnny Galecki Really Consider Boycotting The Emmys Because Of Charlie Sheen?
Just months after his public meltdown, reports surfaced that Sheen was being tapped as a surprise presenter at the Emmys—a move that didn't sit well with Galecki. In his interview for 'The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series', the now 49-year-old revealed that he seriously considered boycotting the event—a shocking stance considering he'd been nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series alongside his co-star Jim Parsons.
“I even told Warner Bros. I was going to boycott the Emmys that year because of Charlie. He was putting hundreds of people’s jobs in peril, so I told Warner Bros., “sorry.””
And it wasn't just Galecki who was incensed by Sheen's planned appearance. According to Entertainment Weekly, Chuck Lorre and Warner Bros. went on an all-out campaign to get Sheen booted from the broadcast. Unfortunately, their efforts fell flat, and Sheen’s appearance at the prestigious awards ceremony went on as planned.

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However, Galecki ultimately changed his stance on appearing at the Emmys, unwilling to let Sheen accept the award on his behalf if he won in absentia.
“I realized, if I were to have won, Charlie would have accepted the award on my behalf. So I went. But I thought Jim handled a very charged situation very, very well. I wouldn’t have handled that as classily.”
Was Johnny Galecki Nervous About Interacting With Charlie Sheen At The 2011 Emmys?
Though radical, Johnny Galecki's decision to boycott the Emmy Awards on account of Charlie Sheen's presence is completely understandable. The Two and a Half Men luminary has never been known for holding back. Immediately after his firing, Sheen went on an outright rampage, making an array of incendiary and wildly controversial statements against Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre.
What's more, despite making a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory once, Sheen doesn't exactly hold the show in high regard. In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, Sheen disparaged his experience as a guest star on the show, claiming credit for its success and further criticizing the show's creator.
“I'm sorry, but Big Bang Theory is a piece of s**t – it's a stupid show and it's just lame, about lame people. I like the kids in it, but that show without us as a lead-in is… goodbye. And I'm rooting for those kids, because I know who they're dealing with. The fact that they're still sane is crazy. You know? [Chuck Lorre’s] a bad man. And I've backed off from him for a while."
The history of hostility between Lorre and Sheen, as well as Sheen’s tendency to flare up on a whim, might explain, at least partly, why Galecki was a tad nervous leading up to his appearance at the 2011 Emmys.
“We did text today, and he mentioned to me that it was a butterfly-making day, and he’d been on-and-off the treadmill all day,” Jim Parsons said of Galecki during a backstage interview at the 2011 Emmys. “I texted back and said, ‘I agree. It’s nerve-racking, and the treadmill definitely helps.’ I happened to do the elliptical this morning, but close enough.”

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Fortunately, Sheen turned out to be a much more gracious presenter than anyone expected, even taking a moment to extend his goodwill to the Two and a Half Men cast and crew.
“I want to take a moment to get something off my chest and say a few words to everybody here from Two and A Half Men,” he said at the time per RadarOnline. “From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together…and I know you will continue to make great television.”