Mario Anzuoni, left, and Chip East/ReutersAshton Kutcher, right, will replace Charlie Sheen on “Two and a Half Men.”Ashton Kutcher, one of the former stars of the sitcom “That 70’s Show,” has been selected to replace Charlie Sheen on the hit comedy “Two and a Half Men,” Warner Brothers and CBS announced on Friday.
The selection of Mr. Kutcher had been rumored since Thursday, when he signaled the news to his followers on Twitter with the cryptic message “What’s the square root of 6.25?” (The answer: 2.5.)
CBS issued a news release on Friday calling Mr. Kutcher “multitalented” for his work across television, film and digital social platforms. The network offered no specifics on how Mr. Kutcher, 33, will be incorporated into the cast, which includes Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones.
The show’s creator, Chuck Lorre, said in a statement, “We are so lucky to have someone as talented, joyful and just plain remarkable as Ashton joining our family.” He also expressed relief that the rest of the cast would now be able to stay together.
The future of the show had been thrown into doubt after the suspension and eventual firing of Mr. Sheen, who set off the chain of events with a critical tirade against Mr. Lorre in the wake of a halt in production tied to Mr. Sheen’s drug use. Mr. Sheen subsequently filed a $100 million lawsuit against Warner Brothers; the suit was delayed this week as the judge requested more papers to be filed.
“Two and a Half Men” has been the most-watched comedy on television in the past decade, but in the last month it has become clear that CBS would be damaged if the series did not return to its schedule in some form. Ratings for repeats of the sitcom, still the centerpiece of CBS’s Monday night, have declined sharply, and viewership for the network’s other shows that night have declined with it.
The negotiations for a replacement became one of the most closely watched events in Hollywood, and numerous names were floated as candidates. None were taken as credible until earlier this week, when Warner Brothers did not deny rumors of discussions with Hugh Grant, the British film actor.
His name stirred excitement because he might have brought a new element to the series. Mr. Kutcher has lesser credits, and his efforts to build his own film career have foundered.
But he continues to have high name recognition, thanks to his other television work, which has included hosting “Saturday Night Live” and creating the hidden-camera series “Punk’d” for MTV. He is also known for how well he has exploited Twitter.
Mr. Kutcher has built an enormous following on that messaging forum, and CBS should be able to take advantage of that in promoting his introduction to “Two and a Half Men.”
Nina Tassler, the president of CBS Entertainment, took note of his digital fluency in her own official comment, in which she called him a “social media pioneer.”
Mr. Kutcher is also widely known for his marriage to the actress Demi Moore.
The role on “Two and a Half Men” made Mr. Sheen the highest-paid actor in television, and already reports have circulated about what sort of salary lured Mr. Kutcher to the role. Several have put the figure at $1 million an episode, but one executive, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about financial details, dismissed that amount as seriously overinflated.