Jon Cryer hits back after Rep. Matt Gaetz says Charlie Sheen 'carried' Two and a Half Men

In a feud we did not see coming, Jon Cryer is challenging Rep. Matt Gaetz's opinion that Charlie Sheen "totally carried" Two and a Half Men.

The Twitter war of words started after Cryer slammed the Republican congressman from Florida for his record on Saturday, while endorsing Gaetz's opponent, Phil Ehr.

"Rep. @mattgaetz invited a white supremacist to the State of the Union, attempted to intimidate a federal witness, and endorsed a sociopathic bigot who applauded the deaths of migrants for congress," Cryer tweeted.

In response, Gaetz, an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, tweeted back: "Charlie Sheen totally carried two and a half men."

Sheen starred as Charlie Harper on the sitcom for eight seasons before he was let go in 2011 and replaced by Ashton Kutcher. Cryer played Charlie's brother Alan for the comedy's entire 12-season run, which ended in 2015.

Cryer fired back at Gaetz, tweeting, "Is that why, after he left, it lasted for 4 more years and I won an Emmy for Best Actor in a Comedy?"

Throughout his time on the show, the actor scored seven Emmy nominations for his role as the uptight Harper brother, winning twice, one in 2009 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and the other in 2012 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

Cryer, who currently stars on the CW's Supergirl, clarified in a follow-up tweet that his remarks to Gaetz weren't meant "as a slam on Charlie."

"He was undeniably the star of the show. And a fantastic actor," Cryer wrote about Sheen. "Despite his issues, we had many more highs than lows. But you can’t say he 'carried' a show that lasted four years without him."

Jon Cryer; Charlie Sheen
GREG GAYNE/CBS

Many of Cryer's collaborators praised the star, including Lee Aronsohn, the co-creator of Two and a Half Men.

"I can attest to all of this, because I was there," he tweeted. "Charlie was the star of the show, and the rest of the cast was fantastic, but @MrJonCryer was the comedic glue which held it all together for everyone."

Amber Tamblyn, who played Charlie's daughter in two seasons on the comedy, echoed that sentiment, adding, "Ask anyone."

Gaetz continued the back and forth, tweeting, "What’s an Emmy? An award Hollywood gives itself? I win elections."

Back in April, Cryer said he only has fond memories of working with Sheen during Two and a Half Men's early seasons. "Charlie and I really hit it off. We had a great first few years on that show," he said on PeopleTV's Couch Surfing. "It was incredibly smooth, we had a lovely time, it was working really well."

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