Charlie Sheen Gives ‘Anger Management’ First Look on ‘Today’

It really is quite a trip to consider that Charlie Sheen's infamous 'Two and a Half Men' exit and the various viral public meltdowns have been in our rear-view for the better part of a year now.  So with "winning" behind us, have we only 'Anger Management' to look forward to?  'Today' has your answer!

Speaking in a candid interview with 'Today's Matt Lauer and discussing everything from alcohol addiction to 'Two and a Half Men' to existentialism, Charlie Sheen's appearance did afford us one or two juicy first looks at Sheen's forthcoming FX series 'Anger Management.'  We've read the FX synopsis before, but 'Today' afforded our first actual look at the series, via photos presented in the below segment.

The photos highlight not only Sheen's role as "Charlie," a disgrace former baseball player and non-traditional therapist specializing in anger management, but also Selma Blair's role as Charlie's own therapist and friend, as well as the character's ex-wife (Shawnee Smith) in a kitchen setting.  From show's official FX description:

Sheen stars as “Charlie,” a non-traditional therapist specializing in anger management. Selma Blair, Shawnee Smith, Daniela Bobadilla, Michael Arden, and Noureen DeWulf co-star. He has a successful private practice, holding sessions with his group of primary patients each week, as well as performing pro bono counseling for an inmate group at a state prison. Prior to his career as a therapist, Charlie was a stalled minor league baseball prospect whose road to the majors was sidetracked by his own struggle with anger issues. After a stint in anger management therapy, he made it to the majors and had one terrific season before his anger issues put him on the shelf for good.

In the final game of his career, he tried to snap a bat over his leg, which resulted in a career-ending injury. That injury led him back to school and to his current profession. Charlie thrives on the chaos in his life while still battling his own anger issues. His life is complicated by his relationships with his own therapist/best friend, an ex-wife whose positive outlook but poor choice in men frustrates Charlie, and their 13-year-old daughter who has obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The below interview also features some interesting behind-the-scenes notes of 'Anger Management' most specifically that Sheen himself is not required to undergo any kind of drug test barring any major incidents, but that on the first day of shooting the actor did address the cast and crew to jovially allay their fears of his notoriously bad behavior.  Says Sheen, “So far eight days [of 'Anger Management'] was more fun than eight years [of 'Two and a Half Men'].

'Anger Management' premieres on Thursday, June 28 with two back-to-back episodes at 9/8 p.m. Central, but in the mean time you can watch the below interview for your first look at images from the series!