Melanie Lynskey has been acting since the 90s when her first role, as Pauline Parker, in the 1994 film Heavenly Creatures won her a New Zealand Film Award.
Since then, she’s played small but unique roles in numerous films, including Coyote Ugly (2000), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Shattered Glass (2003), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), They Came Together (2014), and most recently, Don't Look Up (2021).
Despite having almost 90 acting credits under her belt, one of Lynskey’s most iconic and well-known roles still remains her portrayal of Rose on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men (2003–2015). Most recently, the Yellowjackets star revealed what it was like to work alongside Charlie Sheen on this popular show. Surprisingly, Lynskey had nothing but great things to say about her former co-star, despite his problematic reputation.
Originally, Melanie Lynskey’s Role in Two and a Half Men Wasn’t Meant To Be A Regular On The Show
In 2003, landed a small role in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, portraying Rose, Charlie Harper’s (Charlie Sheen) lovable but quirky neighbor. Initially, Lynskey was cast to only play this guest character on the show’s pilot, but after the success of the show, the actress was invited to come back as a series regular.
From 2003 to 2005, Lynskey would go on to appear frequently on the first two seasons of Two and a Half Men. During this time, Lynskey worked closely with Charlie Sheen. But, in 2005, the actress left the main cast of the show and downgraded to a recurring role to pursue other professional opportunities in film. This was a decision that the executive producer of the show, Chuck Lorre, said he had "a lot of respect for."
Although she began working on many more films and TV shows, such as the 2006 Clint Eastwood-directed war epic Flags of Our Fathers, Melanie Lynskey continued to make guest appearances on Two and a Half Men up until the show’s final episode, which aired in February 2015.
What Was Melanie Lynskey and Charlie Sheen’s Relationship Like On The Set Of Two And A Half Men?
During her time on Two and a Half Men, Melanie Lynskey worked more closely with Charlie Sheen than any other of the cast members of the show. The actor has been involved in many controversies in recent years.
In fact, his problematic behavior led to him being fired from the show and replaced with Ashton Kutcher. Despite this, Melanie Lynskey has said nothing but good things about working with this actor.
When asked about what it was like to work with Charlie Sheen, following his controversial departure from the show, Lynskey said that they always maintained a good relationship behind the scenes. “I haven’t actually been in touch with him for a while,” the actress told Fox News.
“I send him my best always and hope that he’s doing well. But… he was a very, very generous actor to work with and was always very kind to me.”
Although it was rumored that a feud with Charlie Sheen behind the scenes could have been what led Lynskey to take a step back from the show, this was far from the truth. Lynskey and Sheen had a good relationship when filming Two and a Half Men. And at the end of the day, the actress decided to downgrade her role to pursue work in film.
“But I just was like, This feels like if I keep doing this, then it will only be this. Not just time-wise. But because there was so much exposure, and I knew I had to get out and start building up something else.”
Melanie Lynskey Praised The Way Charlie Sheen Would Get Ready To Shoot Scenes For Two and a Half Men
It’s no secret that working with Charlie Sheen during the last seasons of Two and a Half Men was hard for most of the cast and crew. But Melanie Lynskey has admitted that she wasn’t much around when all this drama was going on. Instead, the actress has said nothing but positive things about the time she worked with Charlie Sheen. Lynskey has even praised him for how he would prepare for every shoot.
“When I met him, he was sober. Just a really, really sweet, good person. He was so prepared. So, so, so prepared. He's the only actor I've ever worked with I think who was off-book for every rehearsal. And there's no point being off-book when you're doing a sitcom because it gets rewritten after every time you rehearse it. But he would learn the lines so he could be present and feel it out properly,” Melanie Lynskey revealed in a 2014 interview with Buzzfeed.
Lynskey is not the only Two and a Half Men star to praise Charlie Sheen. Back in 2011, Taylor Holland told The Associated Press, "Charlie was cordial and polite with all of his cast mates and crew, sometimes even courtly -- and always witty.”