The famous American actor Carlos Irwin Estévez, better known as Charlie Sheen, is set to star in a new sports betting series produced by HBO. The upcoming show will be called How to Be a Bookie and will premiere eight episodes in October.
Sheen’s role is yet to be announced. However, it is known that he will not be in the leading role. Instead, the show lead will be the comedic actor Sebastian Maniscalco.
While Sheen will not have the opportunity to be the main star of the show, he will reunite with a former colleague, namely Chuck Lorre. Lorre was the executive producer and co-creator of Two and a Half Men, the series Sheen is most popular for starring in. However, their latest interactions between Sheen and Lorre weren’t exactly friendly and led to Sheen’s departure from the series.
The two might have patched up their relationship, considering that Lorre, the creator of the new series, has welcomed Sheen back.
Sheen Has a History of Gambling
Now 57, Sheen is no stranger to sports betting, as attested by the divorce papers filed by Denise Richards, one of his ex-wives. According to Richards, Sheen was a problem bettor who would place big sports wagers each weekend. These bets were oftentimes as high as $200,000.
However, in an interview from 2012, Sheen claimed to have stopped betting, following a major winning bet. The wager in question saw the American actor place a million dollars on Manny Pacquiao in his historic boxing match against Oscar De La Hoya.
His reason for giving up on betting is that he no longer felt excited even when he won. In interviews, Sheen referred to himself as a “retired bettor,” rather than a “recovering gambler.”
What We Know about How to Be a Bookie
How to Be a Bookie will air on HBO Max for an initial season of eight episodes. As mentioned, the show is expected to premiere in October.
Maniscalco, who will play the lead role, will step in the shoes of a veteran bookie from Los Angeles. His character will be challenged by the legalization of sports betting and the instability of the market. At the same time, he will encounter trouble in his personal life, having to deal with problems related to his family and colleagues.
Other than Sheen and Maniscalco, we know that How to Be a Bookie will feature Omar Dorsey, Andrea Anders, Vanessa Ferlito, Jorge Garcia and Maxim Swinton.