History Trivia / TwoAndAHalfMen

** Creator/HughGrant was originally signed to replace Creator/CharlieSheen. His character was to be a smooth-talking ConMan who tricks Alan into letting him move in, without paying rent. Grant decided that he didn't want to commit to a multi-year contract for a television series, and backed out of the role. Creator/WoodyHarrelson, Creator/RobLowe and Creator/JohnStamos were also considered.

** RecastAsARegular: Jennifer Taylor appeared in multiple guest spots as different characters before being cast as Chelsea.

* CreatorBreakdown: The circumstances surrounding Charlie Sheen's exit are an ''explosive'' example. His marriage fell apart and he entered into a downward spiral of drinking and drug use. Then he began demanding that he be given an enormous raise (somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 million per episode) and refused to come on set until CBS agreed. As this was happening, he began making bizarre public appearances and strange social media posts. In the end, the powers that be decided that Sheen wasn't worth the aggravation, fired him, killed Charlie off, and retooled the show by bringing in Ashton Kutcher.

** Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper.

* DyeingForYourArt: Jon Cryer's hair began to thin dramatically and, while he was open about it, the hair and makeup department used a powdered hair loss concealer to make it seem he still had a full head of hair. After the series ended, he shaved his head and grew a beard.

* FakeShemp: [[spoiler:No, that's not Charlie Sheen you're seeing from behind as his old character in the GrandFinale.]]

* MoneyDearBoy: A variation; the main reason why Chuck Lorre pushed the network to commission a pilot was because co-creator Lee Aronsohn would cease to be eligible for WGA health coverage if one of his scripts wasn't put into production very soon. Fortunately for all concerned, it turned out that the network quite liked the pilot...
* TheOtherDarrin: Delores Pasternak was originally played by Missi Pyle. When she returned two years later, she was played by Alicia Witt. In brief appearances in later seasons, [[TheOriginalDarrin Missi Pyle came back]].

* DyeingForYourArt: Jon Cryer's hair began to thin dramatically and, while he was open about it, the hair and makeup department used a powdered hair loss concealer to make it seem he still had a full head of hair. After the series ended, he shaved his head and grew a beard

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The original plan for the ending of the series, according to Creator/ChuckLorre's vanity card: "I know a lot of you might be disappointed that you didn't get to see Charlie Sheen in tonight's finale. For the record, he was offered a role. Our idea was to have him walk up to the front door in the last scene, ring the doorbell, then turn, look directly into the camera and go off on a maniacal rant about the dangers of drug abuse. He would then explain that these dangers only applied to average people. That he was far from average. He was a ninja warrior from Mars. He was invincible. And then we would drop a piano on him. We thought it was funny. He didn't. Instead, he wanted us to write a heart-warming scene that would set up his return to prime time TV in a new sitcom called The Harpers starring him and Jon Cryer. We thought that was funny too."

* CreatorBreakdown: The circumstances surrounding Charlie Sheen's exit are an ''explosive'' example.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The original plan for the ending of the series, according to Creator/ChuckLorre's vanity card: "I know a lot of you might be disappointed that you didn't get to see Charlie Sheen in tonight's finale. For the record, he was offered a role. Our idea was to have him walk up to the front door in the last scene, ring the doorbell, then turn, look directly into the camera and go off on a maniacal rant about the dangers of drug abuse. He would then explain that these dangers only applied to average people. That he was far from average. He was a ninja warrior from Mars. He was invincible. And then we would drop a piano on him. We thought it was funny. He didn't. Instead, he wanted us to write a heart-warming scene that would set up his return to primetime TV in a new sitcom called The Harpers starring him and Jon Cryer. We thought that was funny too."

* ActorAllusion:
** Charlie, every now and then, goes to a psychiatrist played by Jane Lynch. In "My Puppy's Dead", he and Alan go home after one visit and watch ''Series/{{Glee}}'', to which he responds "that tall blond in the red track suit is freaking me out".
** In "People who Love Peepholes", Alan says that "when I was was in high school, I was dating a poster of Creator/MollyRingwald". Before ''Two and a Half Men'', Creator/JonCryer was most famous for ''Film/PrettyInPink'', where his character, Ducky is hopelessly in love with Ringwald's.
*** In the season 12 premiere, Alan dresses as Ducky for Halloween.
** In "A Giant Cat Holding A Churro" Alan confronts his girlfriend Lindsey, played by Courtney Thorne-Smith, with her playing in a softcore porn movie when she was younger. She then tells that the producer had said he could get her on ''Series/MelrosePlace''. Courtney Thorne-Smith was a ''Melrose Place'' regular for the first five seasons.
** A somewhat atypical example. When Alan starts believing himself to be Charlie out of grief, he ends up institutionalized, and imagines he's calling up hookers like Charlie did. Upon "hanging up", he utters Charlie Sheen's own infamous post-firing catchphrase "Winning!". (This is as much an allusion and a jab at Sheen, of which season 9 has plenty).
** In "You ''Do'' Know What the Lollipop Is For", Walden comes down the stairs, and then is taken aback when he can't remember why he came downstairs. Alan suggests "Maybe too much (imitates inhaling a joint) oh hey, dude, where's my car?" Ashton Kutcher starred in the 2000 stoner comedy ''Film/DudeWheresMyCar''.
*** Missi (Music/MileyCyrus) in the same episode tells Jake on the beach an OrphanedPunchline of "And that is why you don't smoke pot in church". This may be a reference to Cyrus' 2011 salvia incident (and her [[SelfDeprecation self-deprecating]] RealLife nickname of "Bob Miley" due to the same incident).
** A 2013 episode featuring Creator/EmilyOsment as Ashley, the [[ReallyGetsAround promiscuous teenage daughter]] of a middle-aged woman Jake is dating who Jake cheats on for, has Alan arguing with Walden about the affair in front of her. Walden sarcastically calls her "Series/HannahMontana". [[DontExplainTheJoke Emily played Miley Stewart's BFF Lilly Truscott in the Disney series]]. May be even more of an allusion as Jake is moving on from his relationship to Missi at the time.
** In "How to Get Rid of Alan Harper", Walden's girlfriend proposes a game of "bang, marry, kill", with Creator/AngelinaJolie, Creator/MilaKunis and herself. Later, when she cancels her date with Walden and leaves, he says: "Better hope I don't run into Mila Kunis!" She responds: "Yeah, like that's gonna happen". Mila Kunis is Ashton Kutcher's real-life wife.
** "Lan Mao Shi Zai Wuding Shang", where Mila Kunis guest stars has as Vivian, has several.
*** When she introduces herself:
---->'''Walden:''' That's a beautiful name.
---->'''Vivian:''' Thank you. My parents got it from that '70s show. What was it called? ''Series/{{Maude}}''!
*** When Walden invites her to stay the night because it really started to rain, she says: "It's just a little water. I'm not gonna melt. ''(spoilers for a then-recent film of hers)'' [[spoiler:It's not like [[Film/OzTheGreatAndPowerful I'm the Wicked Witch of the West.]]]]"
*** When they talk about dating:
---->'''Vivian:''' So what's your deal Walden? You're a good looking guy, rich, Malibu beach house... I bet you only date hot actresses.
---->'''Walden:''' God no, I'd never date an actress. They're all crazy.
---->'''Vivian:''' I'm sure they're not all crazy.
---->'''Walden:''' Trust me, they are.
---->'''Vivian:''' I don't get this whole fascination with celebrities anyway. I mean who cares who's dating whom or who's engaged to who, or who has a sex tape that no one will ''ever, ever'' see?
** Detective Wagner in "Of Course He's Dead" is played by Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger. Alan ends a conversation with him with [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay "Hasta la vista"]], and when [[spoiler:Creator/ChristianSlater claims that he's not Charlie Harper]], Wagner says "Yeah, and I'm the Governor of California."
** One episode features Ken Jeong as a nurse. Jeong is a licensed physician.
* CastingGag: In Season 11, Alan begins dating a woman played by Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Later her ex-husband appears who is played by...Music/BradPaisley

* PlayingAgainstType: Ryan Stiles. [[Series/TheDrewCareyShow Lewis]] was a JerkAss and a borderline sociopath while Herb is one of the nicest people on the show.

** Jenna Elfman appeared in a two-part episode in the first season as a woman named Frankie. She later appeared as [[Series/DharmaAndGreg Dharma]] in the Season 9 opener.

** In "How to Get Rid of Alan Harper", Walden's girlfriend proposes a game of "bang, marry, kill", with Creator/AngelinaJolie, Creator/MilaKunis and herself. Later, when she cancels her date with Walden and leaves, he says: "Better hope I don't run into Mila Kunis!" She responds: "Yeah, like that's gonna happen". Mila Kunis is Ashton Kutcher's girlfriend in real life.

** In "People who Love Peepholes", Alan says that "when I was was in high school, I was dating a poster of Creator/MollyRingwald". Before ''Two and a Half Men'', Jon Cryer was most famous for ''Film/PrettyInPink'', where his character, Ducky is hopelessly in love with Ringwald's.

** Paula Marshall as Paula, Alan’s {{Transsexual}} girlfriend from ep. 9-10 of season 11.

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Creator/ChuckLorre has experience as a jingle writer; he wrote the theme song for ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''. Overlaps with ActorAllusion (Creator Allusion?) when Charlie plays said theme song on the piano for Jake in an early episode, only for Jake to be utterly clueless about where it's from.

** April Bowbly, who later played Kandi, made an earlier appearance playing a woman in Charlie's shower, called "Bubbles." It is possible Bubbles ''was'' Kandi, as Kandi shows up two episodes later and acts just like her (April Bowbly is credited as "Kimber" in that episode, even though she's never addressed as such in the entire episode).

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Creator/ChuckLorre has experience as a jingle writer; he wrote the theme song for ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''.

* FakeAmerican: Rose, played by New Zealander MelanieLynskey.

** In "You ''Do'' Know What the Lollipop Is For", Walden comes down the stairs, and then is taken aback when he can't remember why he came downstairs. Alan suggests "Maybe too much (imitates inhaling a joint) oh hey, dude, where's my car?" Ashton Kutcher starred in the 2000 stoner comedy ''DudeWheresMyCar''.

* DyeHard: Jon Cryer's hair began to thin dramatically and, while he was open about it, the hair and makeup department used a powdered hair loss concealer to make it seem he still had a full head of hair. After the series ended, he shaved his head and grew a beard

* DyeHard: Jon Cryer's hair began to thin dramatically and, while he was open about it, the hair and makeup department used a powdered hair loss concealer to make it seem he still had a full head of hair.

* WriteWhatYouKnow : Creator/ChuckLorre has experience as a jingle writer; he wrote the theme song for ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''.

* McLeaned: Charlie was killed off by being pushed in front of a train after he was caught cheating on his fiance, Rose. And just to add insult to injury, the funera] is full of one night stands and angry exes. And after he is cremated, Walden's first appearance has Alan [[AshesToCrashes spilling Charlie's ashes all over the ground.]] Then Alan vacuums Charlie's remains with a dustbuster.

* DyeHard: Jon Cryer hair began to thin dramatically and, while he was open about it, the hair and makeup department used a powdered hair loss concealer to make it seem he still had a full head of hair.

*** Missi (MileyCyrus) in the same episode tells Jake on the beach an OrphanedPunchline of "And that is why you don't smoke pot in church". This may be a reference to Cyrus' 2011 salvia incident (and her [[SelfDeprecation self-deprecating]] RealLife nickname of "Bob Miley" due to the same incident).

** A 2013 episode featuring Creator/EmilyOsment as Ashley, the [[ReallyGetsAround promiscuous teenage daughter]] of a middle-aged woman Jake is dating who Jake cheats on for, has Alan arguing with Walden about the affair in front of her. Walden sarcastically calls her "HannahMontana". [[DontExplainTheJoke Emily played Miley Stewart's BFF Lilly Truscott in the Disney series]]. May be even more of an allusion as Jake is moving on from his relationship to Missi at the time.

** Detective Wagner in "Of Course He's Dead" is played by Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger. Alan ends a conversation with him with [[Franchise/TheTerminator "Hasta la vista"]], and when [[spoiler:Creator/ChristianSlater claims that he's not Charlie Harper]], Wagner says "Yeah, and I'm the Governor of California."