Charlie Sheen Heartbroken Over Losing Major Role to Tom Cruise

In October 2025, Charlie Sheen, now 60 years old, recounted on the "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" podcast how he was caught off guard when he learned that Tom Cruise had been cast as Sergeant Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone's 1989 Vietnam War movie "Born on the Fourth of July."

At the time, Sheen had already established himself as a rising star, with roles in several successful films, including 1986's "Platoon" and 1987's "Wall Street," both of which were also directed by Stone. Sheen believed the role of Kovic was his, given their working relationship and the conversations he says he had with the director. However, Sheen's brother, Emilio Estevez, broke the news to him that Cruise had been cast instead.

Sheen acknowledged that he understood it was just a role, but he still felt a sense of "betrayal" over the decision. He later confronted Stone about the situation, after having a few drinks, and the director explained that he felt Sheen had lost interest in the project. Sheen, however, argued that he had never lost interest, as they had stopped discussing the film altogether.

Ultimately, Cruise's performance in the film, which earned him an Oscar nomination, made it easier for Sheen to accept the decision. "When someone gets a job and does that with it, you're just like, of course," Sheen said on the podcast. "You don't sit there and dissect it and like, 'I'd have done that better.' No, go f--- yourself. That's a brilliant [performance] -- and you should have won the freaking Oscar."