Jon Cryer: Angus T. Jones' 'Two and a Half Men' scandal was 'minor'

Jon Cryer is by far the least-scandalous member of the “Two and a Half Men” cast. And he said being on a hit show, where his various costars have had highly-publicized meltdowns, has been a memorable experience… to say the least. The 47 year old actor, who is just plain nice, talked to FOX 411 about what it was like dealing with the drama of Charlie Sheen and Angus T. Jones.

FOX 411: The last couple of years have you felt like you’ve been on “Candid Camera?” Like is this really happening?
CRYER: It is surreal to be part of several internet sh*t storms. When the latest one happened Ashton came up to me and he looked like he had seen a ghost and he was like, ‘Did you hear about Angus?’ and I was like, ‘He is ok?’ He said, ‘Sort of,’ and he showed me the video. And as I said having become a veteran of the internet sh*t storm afterward I just looked at Ashton and said, ‘Well do you think he still wants to go in on the crew gift?’ (Laughs). It’s just been one after the other.

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FOX 411: Next thing we’ll hear is that you joined a Satanic cult.
CRYER: I don’t necessarily do that on the side but I’m not ruling it out (laughs). My life has taken a lot of strange turns. Mostly I’m just glad everybody is still alive.

FOX 411: Isn’t that a crazy thing to say!
CRYER: It is crazy. I have no explanation for it. You could say the show is cursed except the show has been cursed with being monumentally successful so it’s hard to call that a curse. Angus’one was so minor because I wasn’t actually worried that any actual harm would come to him and he’s already been back to work several times.

It was strange to be the object of paparazzi. That was a part of my life that was never an issue before. If I’m at a press event I’m happy to talk to the cameras. When they wait outside my house then I get mad.

FOX 411: You were on a lot of failed sitcoms before this. Did you start feeling like you couldn’t catch a break?
CRYER: The first one that tanked hit me harder than the rest. The first one you take really personally and then the rest of them you realize how lucky you are just to get on the air because the vast majority of these shows don’t even make it on air, and I was lucky enough to have shows on the air one after the other in pretty quick succession.

FOX 411: You must really appreciate “Two and a Half Men.”
CRYER: It’s a great feeling. You cannot fool yourself into thinking you know why this has happened or that you have any idea how to replicate it because it’s never the same. But, absolutely, I am amazed that the show has had such longevity and [I] feel incredibly lucky about it.

FOX 411: Is going into syndication like the money tree blooming in the backyard?
CRYER: When they talk about the proverbial money truck pulling up, for some performers-- like I imagine for Charlie who has a percentage of the show-- it’s like that, but for an actor who doesn’t have a percentage it doesn’t make that much of a difference. The fact that it has continued on all these years, that’s way more lucrative than the fact that it’s in syndication. 

Syndication is great, don’t get me wrong but it’s less about that than continuing on with the show.

FOX 411: You know for women of a certain age you will always be Duckie [from “Pretty in Pink”].
CRYER: (Laughs) - Yes I am aware of that. I am grateful for the years of goodwill that Duckie has gotten me from women of a certain age. That the movie still resonates is wonderful. As small as that movie was it really touched a lot of people.

FOX 411: And you’re one of the producers of Holland Taylor’s one woman show about Ann Richards that is playing on Broadway.
CRYER: Holland asked me to read the play just as a friend, and then I saw her in character and it was astonishing. After I read it I literally begged her to be a part of the production because it’s so rare that something like that falls into your lap-- that a friend of yours happens to do something great.

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