Charlie Sheen opens up about losing ‘Born on the Fourth of July’ to Tom Cruise

WASHINGTON: Actor Charlie Sheen has shared his feelings of ‘betrayal’ after Tom Cruise was cast as Sergeant Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone’s 1989 Vietnam War drama ‘Born on the Fourth of July’, a role Sheen believed was his, reported People.

Speaking on the ‘In Depth with Graham Bensinger’ podcast, Sheen (60) recounted how his brother Emilio Estevez broke the news to him. At the time, Sheen had gained recognition with blockbuster films including ‘Platoon’ (1986) and ‘Wall Street’ (1987), both of which were also directed by Stone.

“Emilio, he calls me. He says, ‘Hey, man. You sitting down?’ And I think somebody died, right? … He says, ‘Cruise is doing *Born on the Fourth’,” Sheen recalled, reported People.

Charlie Sheen says Tom Cruise’s “Born on the Fourth of July” casting was a “betrayal” by Oliver Stone since he was already talking to the director about starring in the movie.

Sheen later confronted Stone in a bar: “I was drunk enough and he was drunk enough for that thing to… pic.twitter.com/CdDyFPtfIf

— Variety (@Variety) October 30, 2025

Sheen acknowledged that while he understood the role was just a part, there was an element of ‘betrayal’. He added that he and Stone had discussed the project, but communication eventually stopped. “We stopped talking about it, and I reached out to Oliver, and I’m told that he’s in Cuba… You can’t lose something you never had. I didn’t sign a contract. There was a handshake”, he said.

The actor later confronted Stone in a conversation fueled by drinks, questioning the director’s decision. Stone reportedly told Sheen that he felt Sheen had ‘lost interest’, which Sheen contested, reported People.

Despite the disappointment, Sheen praised Cruise’s Oscar-nominated performance in the film. “It wasn’t like a thing where I’m going to talk about him, because then you see the movie and you’re like, ‘Oh, okay. All right. He turned it into that…’ No, go f— yourself. That’s a brilliant performance — and you should have won the freaking Oscar”, Sheen said.

Sheen’s reflections were part of discussions surrounding his memoir, The Book of Sheen, which debuted on September 9 and covers his early life, Hollywood rise, and personal struggles, reported People. (ANI)