Actor Charlie Sheen is making a significant return to the public eye, revealing his life story in a new two-part Netflix documentary series, “aka Charlie Sheen,” set to premiere on September 10. Concurrently, his memoir, “The Book of Sheen,” will be published on September 9. These projects chronicle Sheen's rise to fame in the 1980s and 90s, his infamous drug-fueled public meltdown in 2011—which led to his firing from “Two and a Half Men”—and his subsequent journey to nearly eight years of sobriety.

Sheen, who turned 60 on September 3, described watching the documentary as “kind of hard to watch, but I think it’s important to watch,” hoping it serves as a cautionary tale. The premiere in Hollywood saw attendees including his ex-wife Denise Richards, Heidi Fleiss, and, surprisingly, his former drug dealer, Marco. The documentary, directed by Andrew Renzi, delves into the unconventional circumstances surrounding Sheen’s sobriety.

In an extraordinary turn of events, Marco played a pivotal role in Sheen getting clean. Director Renzi revealed that Sheen’s father, Martin Sheen, and his therapist approached Marco during Charlie’s struggles, asking for help. Marco then gradually weaned Sheen off strong drugs by substituting them with baking soda. Sheen described this method as “the moon landing of a solution inside of that insanity,” highlighting its unexpected effectiveness. Both Sheen and Renzi found Marco’s inclusion in the documentary to be a unique and unprecedented aspect, as documentaries about addiction rarely feature the actual dealer.

While some of Sheen’s family members, including two of his five children and his brother Roman Estévez, are interviewed in the documentary, his father Martin Sheen and brother Emilio Estévez opted not to participate. They conveyed that it was Charlie’s story and they didn't want to interfere, although they approved of the rough and final cuts, with Martin expressing satisfaction with the archival footage of himself. Sheen proudly shared that his relationship with his family today is “great” and “really, really tight,” especially after seeing them for his birthday.

The documentary also features Sheen’s “Two and a Half Men” co-star Jon Cryer, though Sheen himself has not spoken to Cryer in some time. Despite show creator Chuck Lorre having killed off his character, Sheen expressed a strong desire for an on-screen reunion of the hit CBS sitcom, calling it a “gift to the fans” and a way to “close that thing how it should have closed.”

Beyond his battle with addiction, which included moments where he contemplated suicide before considering the impact on his children, Sheen is making deeply personal revelations in his memoir and documentary. For the first time, he openly discusses past sexual encounters with men, stating, “I flipped the menu.” He told People magazine that it’s “liberating” to talk about these experiences, which he attributes to his period of crack use, noting, “That’s what started it.” Reflecting on these encounters, Sheen’s philosophy is clear: “So what? Some of it was weird. A lot of it was fucking fun. And life goes on.”

These new projects offer a comprehensive and candid look into Charlie Sheen's life, from his public triumphs and struggles to his journey of recovery and self-acceptance, culminating in a raw and honest portrayal of his past and present.