Why Melanie Lynskey Left Two And A Half Men On Bad Terms

Melanie Lynskey is no stranger to playing unhinged characters, making her debut as a teenager who murdered her own mother in Peter Jackson's "Heavenly Creatures." As Charlie's (Charlie Sheen) neighbor Rose in "Two and a Half Men," her high-pitched voice and prissy clothing are just a sweet front for her obsessive, stalker-like infatuation with him. Rose is constantly trying to insert herself into his life, and eventually gets her biggest wish: they run away to Paris and become engaged. But that fantasy doesn't last long, as she escalates from stalker to kidnapper — and possibly murderer.

Appearing in 63 out of the 262 episodes of the series, Lynskey began as a series regular for two seasons from 2003 to 2005, then popped up as a recurring guest until the show's end after 12 seasons. She was one of the many famous guest stars on "Two and a Half Men," including Sheen's own father and brother — Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez — Kathy Bates, and Miley Cyrus. But while many actors would relish the opportunity to land a steady, high-profile role on a sitcom, being on the show brought nothing but frustration for Lynskey. She now regards the experience as demoralizing, leaving her both financially sidelined and frustrated at not fulfilling her potential as an actress.

In a 2022 interview with Vulture, Melanie Lynskey revealed the reasons she got out of her contract as a series regular on "Two and a Half Men." Although landing a sitcom was regarded as a career win, Lynskey was disappointed that her paycheck "was literally the least they could possibly pay me, according to SAG." Not only was Lynskey being underpaid — especially compared to her male co-stars, who were earning up to $1 million per episode — but she wanted to take on roles that had more substance and emotional gravitas. Her agent at the time, however, was sending her out to audition for misogynistic roles as the chubby best friend or even more mindless stereotypes in fluffy sitcoms.

After some back-and-forth with series creator Chuck Lorre, Lynskey's part was reduced to a guest role. By the series finale of "Two and a Half Men," her appearances were as little as two episodes per season, allowing her to take on other work. Lynskey also changed agencies in 2007, which helped her land roles in high-caliber dramas like "Shattered Glass" and Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers."

Today, Lynskey has a television career that she can be more than proud of, and currently plays the lead role of a bored, slightly sociopathic housewife who was stranded in the Canadian wilderness as a teenager in "Yellowjackets" (which was recently renewed for a fourth season). After her bad sitcom experience, Melanie Lynskey finally has an artistically fulfilling career, with nuanced female characters that she can be proud of playing.