By Lakshana N Palat

Copyright gulfnews

A young Charlie Sheen once seemed destined for stardom, starring in culture-defining films like Wall Street and Platoon before eventually becoming one of television’s highest-paid actors.Sheen’s journey, filled with professional highs and personal challenges, is chronicled in his tell-all memoir, The Book of Sheen, released Tuesday by Gallery Books. The 359-page book offers insight into Sheen’s rise, setbacks, and eventual path to stability in 2017.What does the book cover?The memoir begins with Sheen’s near-death experience at birth and follows his life in Hollywood, including his formative years creating films with his brothers, Emilio and Ramon, on a Super 8 camera.“We were trying our best to mimic Dad’s profession: making the fake stuff seem real, while doing so fearlessly,” Sheen writes, reflecting on the influence of his father, Martin Sheen, a successful actor known for Badlands and Apocalypse NowSheen recounts growing up surrounded by film sets, learning the craft early, and eventually adopting the stage name Charlie Sheen. He landed his first major role in the 1986 Vietnam War drama Platoon and starred in Wall Street alongside his father and Michael Douglas the following year..How Sheen became a household nameSheen eventually found major success on television with the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, becoming one of the highest-paid male actors, reportedly earning $1.8 million per episode during the show’s eighth season.Sheen is widely known for his high-profile professional and personal life. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, his struggles with substance use, along with highly publicised divorces, made frequent headlines.In 2011, Two and a Half Men went on hiatus while Sheen sought treatment. That season was eventually canceled, and his contract was terminated following public disputes with creator Chuck Lorre..Early years and Hollywood lifeFrom childhood, Sheen was surrounded by famous friends and mentors. By his mid-20s, he had met and worked alongside numerous prominent figures in film, television, and sports. Platoon catapulted him into stardom, opening doors to opportunities and experiences few could imagine.He reflects on the lessons learned while navigating Hollywood, the pressures of fame, and the guidance he received from family, friends, and mentors..Relationships and personal growthSheen’s memoir also explores his personal life, including his three marriages. He reflects candidly on the challenges and lessons from each relationship, emphasising growth, self-reflection, and the importance of family. He describes his current relationships as stable and sustainable, highlighting how he has applied past lessons to cultivate healthier connections today.Sheen met his second wife, Denise Richards on a film set in the early 2000s and reconnected shortly after, when she guest starred on Spin City. The pair dated for about two months before he proposed, which he said was spurred by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and his three-and-a-half year sobriety.“For the first time in years,” he wrote, “my feelings were accessible and based in reality.” Right around the time Sheen was cast on “Two and a Half Men,” Richards had given birth to their daughter, Sam, and their home life was crumbling. Sheen turned to prescription pills and the two divorced shortly after their second daughter was born..Reflections on the memoirSheen explains that writing the book required distance and perspective from his earlier life experiences. “I needed this much distance between that other life, those other versions of me,” Sheen said during a conversation with actor David Duchovny. “I don’t think I could’ve committed to this and delivered the focus and passion it required without that distance.”From his near-death experience at birth to his rise as a Hollywood star, The Book of Sheen offers readers an honest, reflective look at the life of one of film and television’s most recognisable figures..With inputs from the Associated Press