We could only pray for Charlie Sheen, says dad Martin

Charlie Sheen. Photo / AP

Martin Sheen has told how he felt "powerless" to help his troubled son Charlie during his public meltdown.

Charlie Sheen, 49, was the highest paid actor on US television before he was spectacularly fired from hit show Two And A Half Men over his erratic behaviour.

His 74-year-old father told Radio Times magazine: "What he was going through at that time, we were powerless to do much. Except to pray for him and lift him up."

The West Wing star added: "You try to be as present as possible. But you have to be aware of the circumstances. You have to be aware of many things that the public is not aware of ... this is a very lonely man. In a very desperate situation.

"Only those of us that knew him understood what was going on."

Sheen added: "I'm talking about steroids, at that time.

"He was in a very desperate situation. And he was doing what he felt would get him out of it - going public. And it was very painful. No less painful for him."

Sheen, a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for almost 30 years, said: "I wouldn't be human if I didn't have very, very deep feeling for him. And there's something that I understand about that, something the programme [Alcoholics Anonymous] has taught me that's vital in trying to help someone - you can assure them you're there and you love them, but you cannot affect change."

Sheen stars alongside Jane Fonda in Grace And Frankie, a Netflix series about two men who leave their wives for each other.

He told the creators of his new show that he wanted to see "no fishnet stockings [and] no parading about" in the script.

"I have great love and affection for people in the gay community. So I had a real sense that it was important to get this right. Don't fool around with this. There's no camping here. No flashy stuff," he said.

He admitted that he struggled with some of the scenes in Grace And Frankie, including when a giant pink phallic symbol is installed on his character's lawn.

"I would not participate. Such vulgarity. And I told dear Marta, the writer, it's awful and it's a bad choice. I was honest with her, and I'm glad I was. She looked at me and said, 'Well that's your opinion'. And I said, 'Yes it is, and I'm not participating in that sequence'."

- AAP