NEW YORK, N.Y. - Acting with an imminent deadline to keep alive a hit comedy after it had been derailed by Charlie Sheen's troubles this season, CBS and Warner Bros. Television said Friday that actor Ashton Kutcher will replace Sheen in "Two and a Half Men."The show goes into production this summer and will be on CBS' schedule in the fall.
The deal apparently came together quickly, following reports earlier this week that negotiations with film actor Hugh Grant to join the show had fallen through. Kutcher is familiar to television audiences through his role on Fox's "That 70s Show," film roles like the romantic comedy "No Strings Attached" and for producing and hosting the prank show "Punk'd."
A deadline on deciding whether the show would continue was looming with CBS set to unveil its fall schedule to advertisers in New York next Wednesday.
Kutcher is not as well known as Sheen but is 12 years younger and has a huge following of fans who check in on his ever utterance on Twitter. He said Friday he believes that "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," he said.
Kutcher's quote was the only mention of Sheen in Friday's news release. Warner cut short the show's eighth season and fired Sheen two months ago following his public implosion through hard partying and angry criticism of show creator Chuck Lorre.
'Two and a Half Men' sign Ashton Kutcher as Charlie Sheen's replacement
