Charlie Sheen Interested in Becoming Next ‘American Idol’ Judge
With Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler both leaving the judges’ table on American Idol, the search is on for their replacements – and now, add Charlie Sheen to the list of interested candidates. Calling into On Air with Ryan Seacrest today, Sheen chatted with the Idol host about the judge job, noting that producer Nigel Lythgoe had said something about offering Sheen the opportunity.
“It kind of came out of nowhere and I responded with a quote, just to sort of check the temperature of it or test the waters. Haven’t heard anything back,” Sheen explained. “I guess it got some people curious.”
Sheen added that he would be interested if the producers would match 20 percent of his salary to two foundations of his choosing, if the numbers and scheduling made sense for him and if FX (the network that airs Sheen’s new sitcom Anger Management) allowed him to do it.
“It seems so out of the blue that it almost made perfect sense,” he said. “I thought this could be a lot of fun.”
When Seacrest asked Sheen if he saw himself giving feedback to contestants, the actor responded, “Oh yeah, absolutely! And being very honest but not, like, creating any suicidal moments, you know?”
Seacrest promised to pass the news onto Lythgoe and Sheen added an emphatic, “Seriously, tell him I’m genuinely interested. It’s so different, it could be radical.”
In expressing interest in the Idol gig, Sheen joins a club that currently also includes former show runner-up Adam Lambert and the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin – the latter of whom sweetened the deal when she promised to bring Patti LaBelle on as her sidekick.