Charlie Sheen recalls losing a big role to Tom Cruise: ‘It was a betrayal’

Charlie Sheen says he felt “betrayed” after losing the lead role in Born on the Fourth of July to Tom Cruise.

In a new episode of In Depth with Graham Bensinger, the Two and a Half Men star recalled that director Oliver Stone initially wanted him to star in the 1989 war drama based on Marine veteran Ron Kovic’s life.

“The thing that was weird is [Stone] said, ‘I want you to do Born on the Fourth.’ We had meetings about it, even dinner with Ron Kovic,” Sheen shared. “Then I stopped hearing from him… and I’m told he’s in Cuba.”

Not long after, Sheen said his brother Emilio Estevez called with unexpected news.

“He says, ‘Hey man, you sitting down?’ And I think somebody died,” Sheen recalled. “Then he says, ‘Cruise is doing Born on the Fourth.’”

While Sheen admitted it was a “big deal,” he said it was “the betrayal factor” that hurt most. Though Sheen never signed a contract, he said there was a “handshake.”

“You can’t lose something you never had,” he reflected. “My word was honored between us, but it’s fine.”

Cruise went on to receive an Oscar nomination for his role in the film, directed by Stone.