Source: Charlie Sheen wants to bow out of sitcom

[April 20, 2010]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Charlie Sheen is looking at a future without "Two and a Half Men."

According to a person close to the actor, Sheen has told friends that wants to leave the hit CBS comedy in which he's starred for seven years.

The person spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because Sheen had made the remarks in private and had not intended them to be discussed publicly.

CBS had no comment, spokesman Phil Gonzales said Thursday. An after-hours call to Sheen's representatives was not immediately returned.

"Two and a Half Men," which also stars Jon Cryer, is the top-rated comedy on TV and a key part of CBS' Monday night lineup. Last year, CBS gave the show a three-year renewal, through the 2011-12 season, but Sheen's contract is up at the end of the current season.

Sheen, 44, has tired of the demands of a weekly show and wants to focus on movies, the person close to him said. Sheen is in the upcoming film "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps," a sequel to the 1987 "Wall Street" in which he starred.

Sheen's desire to exit the sitcom was reported by People magazine online Thursday.

The actor is grappling with legal problems arising from a fight with his wife in Aspen, Colo., last December. He is charged with assault, criminal mischief and menacing, which carries a possible sentence of one to three years in prison.

Sheen pleaded not guilty in Colorado's Pitkin County District Court last month and faces a jury trial in July.

He entered a rehab facility for undisclosed treatment in February, temporarily forcing "Two and a Half Men" to halt production.

CBS and series producer Warner Bros. Television issued a statement of support when Sheen sought treatment and wished him well.

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CBS is owned by CBS Corp.

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[Associated Press; By LYNN ELBER]

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