His smiling face and confident suit-clad stroll was a staple image on the walls of the Warner Bros studios for years.
But the image of former Two And A Half Men star Charlie Sheen was made a mere memory today, as a billboard featuring his successor Ashton Kutcher was erected on the famous Burbank lot.
And the new sign for the hit sitcom is likely to draw much more attention, especially due to Kutcher’s scantily clad appearance.
The 33-year-old is seen on the new giant advertisement for the show, naked, posing alongside co-stars Angus T. Jones and Jon Cryer, with a white placard merely covering their private parts.
The words ‘All Will Be revealed’ and this year’s 19 September air date of the rebooted show are emblazoned across the front.
Today’s new billboard replaced a generic version which was put in place after Charlie’s was taken down last month.
The advert comes ahead of the hotly anticipated new series, with Kutcher in the lead role following Charlie’s sacking, earlier this year.
In May, Kutcher expressed his delight over being part of the highly coveted series.
‘I’ve never probably in my 13 years in show business received more phone calls and e-mails from people congratulating me on this job,’ Kutcher told Us Magazine.
He continued, ‘You’d almost think I won the lottery or something, which I kind of did.
‘I’ve got the best job in showbusiness, and I am ecstatic about that.’
The No Strings Attached star will earn around $1m per episode for the top-rated comedy.
Kutcher officially replaced Charlie on the hit show back in May.
He said in a statement of his hiring, ‘I can’t wait to get to work with this ridiculously talented 2.5 team and I believe we can fill the stage with laughter that will echo in viewers’ homes.
‘I can’t replace Charlie Sheen, but I’m going to work my ass off to entertain the hell out of people!’
At the time Charlie, made it clear he was not thrilled with being replaced, saying, ‘Kutcher is a sweetheart and a brilliant comedic performer … Oh wait, so am I!!’
‘Enjoy planet Chuck, Ashton,’ he added, referring to the show’s creator and his nemesis, Chuck Lorre. ‘There is no air, laughter, loyalty, or love there.’
He also suggested that the older demographic would tune out from the show now a younger actor is on board.
It has been more than four months since Warner fired Charlie in the show’s eighth season, a move that followed the hard-living actor’s bouts of wild partying, repeated hospital admissions and a bitter media campaign against his studio bosses who shut down production.
But now things seem to be looking up for the troubled star, with the news that he will appear on a new show called Anger Management.
Charlie announced yesterday that he will play a ‘mild-mannered, non-confrontational man’ ordered to go to anger management sessions in his next TV project.
It will be his first acting role since his infamous firing.
The role is based on the character made famous by Jack Nicholson in the original film, which also starred Adam Sandler.
‘I chose Anger Management because, while it might be a big stretch for me to play someone with serious anger management issues, I think it is a great concept,’ Sheen said.
His manager tells America’s People magazine: ‘Charlie is excited about going back to work and looks forward to playing a different character other than Charlie Harper.
‘I can guarantee you that Charlie will not be wearing a bowling shirt on the new show.’
The show will see Sheen reunited with producer, Joe Roth, with whom he worked on Major League and Young Guns.
No TV network has yet bought the comedy.
by Helena Bryanlith
