Overview
- Sheen recalls believing he was the frontrunner until his brother, Emilio Estevez, phoned to say Tom Cruise had been cast.
- He says there was no signed deal for the role, describing the understanding as a handshake and adding, “You can’t lose something you never had.”
- According to Sheen, communication with Stone stopped before the decision, and a later confrontation ended with Stone saying he thought Sheen had lost interest.
- Cruise’s portrayal of Ron Kovic earned an Oscar nomination, which Sheen now praises as a brilliant performance that he feels deserved the win.
- The remarks were shared on the Oct. 30 episode of In Depth with Graham Bensinger and echo themes from Sheen’s recent memoir.