Charlie Sheen was born in New York City, but his path toward fame and infamy was formed in California, where his family moved after his dad had completed a stage role on Broadway. As a child in Malibu, Sheen and his brother, Emilio Estevez, formed close friendships with Rob Lowe, Chad Lowe, Sean Penn, and Chris Penn and collaborated with them on a number of small-time films -- all filmed on Super-8. Though he had early aspirations of following in the successful footsteps of his father, Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen’s early acting career -- which included a part opposite his dad in 1973’s The Execution of Private Slovik -- was sidelined following the heart attack that nearly claimed his dad’s life during the filming of Apocalypse Now, an event that left the younger Sheen emotionally crippled. As a result, he distanced himself from acting for a time to pursue other activities instead.

One of Charlie Sheen’s main hobbies was sports -- specifically baseball -- and his dream of making it to the major leagues was stronger than his desire to become an actor. At Santa Monica High School, he played shortstop and pitcher, but side habits of smoking marijuana and forging credit cards got him arrested and eventually expelled from school. With baseball not looking like a viable career option, Sheen turned to acting and snagged a role in the 1984 war drama Red Dawn, which pitted American high school students against foreign communists and featured future 1980s icon Patrick Swayze. As he watched his brother Emilio Estevez earn Brat Pack status in The Breakfast Club, Sheen also climbed aboard the John Hughes bandwagon with a cameo in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off as a police station stoner -- a role that he prepared for by staying awake for 48 consecutive hours.

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