Martin Sheen to Play Charlie Sheen’s Father on ‘Anger Management’

A few months ago, it was a rumor created by the ever-unreliable Charlie Sheen blathering to whoever would listen. Today, it has been confirmed by the FX network: Martin Sheen will be joining the cast of 'Anger Management,' playing the role of (who else?) Charlie's father.

On the casting, FX president John Landgraf said:  “[Martin's casting will] give an extra dimension to the show and make it a multi-generational family show" but “The show will still deal with his relationship with his patients and the women in his life." As for the harsh critical reaction to the show, Landgraf admitted that it "has more growth in it creatively." That's the nicest way of saying "Yeah, the show isn't very good but we're working on it" that we've ever heard.

It's definitely stunt casting, but there's one thing that we know for sure: the elder Sheen certainly won't make the show worse. In fact, he's very good at elevating the material around him, as seen by his terrific performance in the otherwise tepid 'The Amazing Spider-Man' this summer. His character will be introduced at the end of the first season before being made regular...if the show gets picked up for the second season, of course (although it probably will).

This isn't the first time the two Sheens have worked together. They memorably played father and son in Oliver Stone's classic 'Wall Street,' but that was 25 years ago, before Charlie fell off his rocker and become America's favorite nutjob. It'll be interesting to see the reunited, to say the very least.