A lot has happened since the "underwhelming" end of Two and a Half Men. Though it's mostly about Charlie Sheen's many scandals after Ashton Kutcher replaced him in the show, many fans can't help but wonder about what happened to his fellow lead star, Jon Cryer.
Unlike Sheen, the unproblematic actor hasn't made headlines after the series wrapped. Here's where he is now.
How Much Did Jon Cryer Make From Two And A Half Men?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Cryer was making $500,000 per episode in the middle seasons of Two and a Half Men. But right before season 11, he was given a salary bump and was now earning $650,000 per episode. By that time, his estimated annual base salary was $15 million.
The actor also made $30 million in the last seasons, making his total earnings from the show, over $100 million. Plus the tens of millions he made in the first year's syndication deals, it's a little upwards $200 million. As of 2023, Cryer has amassed a net worth of $70 million.
Aside from his work in Two and a Half Men, the actor has made some money from his early days in Hollywood dating back to the '80s. After starting on the Broadway play, Torch Song Trilogy, he went on to replace Matthew Broderick, because of their resemblance, on 1984's No Small Affair. After riding that out for a while, he went on to get minor TV and film roles.
But it wasn't until the iconic rom-com, Pretty in Pink that he got the breakout role of Duckie, which turned him into a teen idol. Unfortunately, he failed to carry that reputation into a lead role in the show, The Famous Teddy Z, which was canceled due to bad ratings after just one season.
Did Two And A Half Men Ruin Jon Cryer's Career?
Cryer's career choices might have something to do with why he hasn't been cast in anything big in the last few years. After he stepped up as the lead star of Two and a Half Men, following Sheen's exit, he had a momentum that could have broadened his opportunities. Unfortunately, he had already made poor decisions before the hit series, which weakened his resumé in the long run.
He lost some pretty huge roles early in his career like the lead role in Back to the Future (eventually given to Michael J. Fox). He was even invited to read for the role of Mr. Pink in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, but he refused to audition because he didn't understand the script.
Cryer later expressed his regret about it, telling Howard Stern: "I just had to beg off and not audition for what ended up being a brilliant movie." He also told the radio host that he tried out for Chandler — played by Matthew Perry — in Friends. However, he admitted that he would have been a "decent" Chandler but not "at the level of Matthew Perry."
He continued: "When you audition for something and don't get it, it's only when you see somebody do it not well that you get mad. I don't get mad. When I see an actor hit it out of the park, it's like, 'Well, of course, no wonder they gave it to that guy.'"
What Has Jon Cryer Been Up To Since Two And A Half Men?
In 2015, following the end of Two and a Half Men, Cryer published a memoir called So That Happened. There, he spilled some behind-the-scenes tea like a conversation with Sheen where he blamed testosterone for his anger issues. "Three times a day you rub the cream on your thighs, and it's deceptive, because you feel the same, but suddenly you're flying into a rage," he responded when Cryer asked where all that anger was coming from.
After that, Cryer didn't get any memorable roles until 2019 when he played Lex Luthor for 20 episodes of Supergirl. It wasn't his first DC project, though. He famously played Lex's nephew, Lenny Luthor in 1987's Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. "Part of the reason I did Superman IV was because [Superman] changed my life," he said of how that time influenced his decision to play Lex.
"I was like 14-years-old and [Superman's] tagline was, 'You will believe a man can fly,' and boy, I bought it!" he continued. "I totally bought it. Superman IV had really high hopes, but unfortunately, it was very disappointing for people and that had always sort of hurt me in a very 14-year-old boy way. And so I thought, you know, this is my chance to do it right."
In June 2022, Cryer expressed an interest in reuniting with Sheen after watching Tom Cruise's hit sequel film, Top Gun: Maverick. "Just saw Top Gun: Maverick," he tweeted. "Think it's time to reunite with Sheen for Hot Shots: Part Tres." Before Two and a Half Men, the two also worked together on Hot Shots!, but Sheen didn't return for Part Deux.