Heavy Charlie Sheen almost did DWTS.
Fans of “Dancing With the Stars” probably wouldn’t expect to see some A-list actor competing in the ballroom, but it almost happened. Many years ago, Charlie Sheen jumped at an opportunity to learn ballroom dancing and compete for a Mirrorball Trophy, but he never made it to the live shows.
On the March 4, 2024, episode of the “Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans” podcast, host Cheryl Burke said that she was actually brought in to teach Sheen how to dance — by request.
“Fun fact. I danced with Charlie for one day,” Burke told Sheen’s ex-wife Denise Richards, who was her podcast guest for the episode. “Maybe you don’t know. So, he was going to do the show,” she continued, adding that casting director Deena Katz delivered the message directly.
“She was like, ‘Look, we have someone who is a huge name and his team wants you to train him.’ I said, ‘Are you sure?’ Because if I’m trying to convince someone to do the show, I might not be the person. Because I hate lying. I just don’t want to lie [about] how the process is,” Burke admitted.
Here’s what you need to know:
Charlie Sheen Decided the Show Was Too Much of a Commitment
At the end of the day, Sheen decided against doing “Dancing With the Stars.”
“I taught him a few steps. I’m sober now for almost six years and I just had a lot of compassion for him. He seemed so cool. We had so much fun,” Burke explained. However, the fun didn’t last very long, especially once Sheen realized just how intense the process was going to be.
“He started asking me questions. He asked me, ‘How many interviews do we have to do? Do we have to go and do press?’ And I told him, ‘Yeah, we do,'” Burke told Richards.
Charlie Sheen Previously Said His Reasons for not Doing the Show Had to Do With His Inability to Dance
Back in 2019, Sheen told Us Weekly that he didn’t do the show because he simply couldn’t dance.
“I was very flattered by ABC and their offer, but at the end of the day, I have two left feet and I just can’t dance,” he said.
Burke also picked up on Sheen’s self-critical habits.
“He judged himself right away. He was like, ‘I suck at this.’ I’m like, ‘No, this is just the first few steps.’ I taught him a waltz or something. We talked more than we danced, to be honest,” Burke said on her March 4, 2024, podcast.
Burke expressed being disappointed that Sheen didn’t give it a go, though his ex-wife had different feelings on the matter.
“He doesn’t like to work out,” Richards said with a laugh.
Meanwhile, a source told Us Weekly that there was a little more to the casting offer. “When there is a big star like that, they will get some sort of deal for a pilot with ABC,” the source said. As it turns out, Sheen’s publicist seemed to validate that statement, saying that the pilot offer was “very generous” but also “contingent upon his participation on ‘Dancing With the Stars.'”
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