Charlie Sheen Says He's Ready to Work Again but Executives Won't Let Him

Feb. 14, 2011 — -- It seems Charlie Sheen doesn't have a lot of love for his bosses.

Today the actor, who's currently undergoing substance-abuse rehab at his home, said he's ready to return to work on his hit CBS sitcom, "Two and a Half Men," but the suits won't let him. He described banging on the door of the show's studio and getting no answer.

"[The execs] said 'You get ready and we'll get ready,'" he said today on "The Dan Patrick Show" on DirecTV, "and I got ready and went back and nobody was there ... I don't know what to tell you."

A raspy-sounding Sheen, who quipped that he sounded "like Demi Moore in the '80s," added, "I'm here and I'm ready. They're not. Bring it."

When Patrick asked when Sheen's scheduled to return to work, the actor joked, "August of 2014." He then offered, "I don't know, it's supposed to be like the 28th."

Asked about his Valentine's Day plans, Sheen again made a crack: "I'm celebrating it right now, with you. Sorry that got awkward and creepy really fast."

Sheen also told Patrick why he started drinking again.

"It tends to do with boredom," he said, according to a report on People.com. "It's about wanting to make things better -- whether that's real or imagined."

Representatives for CBS and Warner Bros. Television declined ABCNews.com's requests for comment.

Sheen's interview comes in the wake of reports that he was paying the "Two and a Half Men" crew a portion of their salaries while the show is on what's now a nearly three-week-long unplanned hiatus. Sheen's publicist did not immediately respond to ABCNews.com's requests for comment on those reports.

It's a change in tone from earlier this month, when Sheen released a statement thanking his fans, co-stars and bosses -- especially CBS's CEO Les Moonves and Warner Bros. Television president Bruce Rosenblum -- for their support.

"I have a lot of work to do to be able to return the support I have received from so many people," he said. "Like Errol Flynn, who had to put down his sword on occasion, I just want to say, 'thank-you.'"

Sheen voluntarily checked into a rehab facility at the end of January following a brief hospitalization and partying spree. His decision to go to rehab prompted CBS Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television to put "Two and a Half Men" on an indefinite hiatus. Sheen later decided to undergo rehab at home.

Sheen's recent problems are bad, both for the network that airs "Two and Half Men" and for the studio that produces it. They could lose hundreds of millions of dollars if "Two and a Half Men" fails to return to TV.

But for those around Sheen, his latest (third) round in rehab comes as a relief. A source close to the situation told ABCNews.com that high-level executives at CBS and Warner Bros. have been pushing for Sheen to go to rehab for some time.

A CBS statement released on Jan. 31 underlined that point: "The most important thing right now is that Charlie is seeking help. Any immediate programming or financial implications pale in comparison to his long term health, safety and well-being."