NEW YORK, N.Y.—Leave it to Charlie Sheen to upstage the Oscars.

A day after Hollywood’s biggest show, the troubled actor dominated the headlines with threats of a lawsuit, two riveting morning show interviews, a rambling live stream on an Internet website and, by midday Monday, his veteran publicist had quit.

It was just another day for the self-described party animal whose use of drugs, alcohol and prostitutes combined to shut down the top-rated comedy on television, Two and a Half Men.

In Sheen’s interviews with ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today show, he boasted about his “epic” partying, said he’s fuelled by “violent hatred” of his bosses, claimed to have kicked drugs at home in his “Sober Valley Lodge” and demanded $3 million an episode to return to work.

There’s a strong likelihood that Two and a Half Men will never be back, although E! Online reported Monday that CBS is wooing actor John Stamos to play a new role that would replace Sheen’s character.

(There was also word via TMZ.com that Warner Bros. will pay 100 crew members the $2 million they would have lost when the last four weeks of shooting for this season was suspended over Sheen’s antics.)

“I’m supposed to be out there all humble and asking for my job,” Sheen said during an interview at his home with Mike Walters, streamed live Monday on TMZ.com. “No, I don’t do that. I don’t understand what I did wrong except live a life that everyone is jealous of.”

Sheen’s publicist, Stan Rosenfield, resigned shortly after the TMZ interview. Rosenfield has been with Sheen through three hospitalizations in three months related to the star’s wild behaviour. In the interview, Sheen implied that Rosenfield had lied to the media by saying he had been hospitalized for an allergic reaction after trashing a room in New York’s Plaza Hotel.

Sheen told NBC interviewer Jeff Rossen that he’s spent years trying to be the “nice guy” on his show and get along with everybody, and now that’s over.

“I’m tired of pretending I’m not special,” he said. “I’m tired of pretending I’m not a total bitchin’ rock star from Mars.”

Rossen appeared startled when Sheen said he wanted to be paid $3 million an episode to return to the show. He’s reportedly paid $1.8 million an episode now, one of the highest-paid actors on television.

On ABC, Sheen said to correspondent Andrea Canning that he planned to sue his bosses.

“Wouldn’t you?” he said. “I’ve got a whole family to support and love. People beyond me are relying on that. I’m here to collect. They’re going to lose. They’re going to lose in a courtroom, so I would recommend that they settle out of court.”

Sheen said that he’s bored now with cocaine. But he said he “exposed people to magic” when they partied with him and that he loved doing drugs.

ABC and Radar Online had Sheen’s blood and urine tested for drugs over the weekend. The dual tests revealed Sheen hadn’t had drugs in at least 72 hours.

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“I am on a drug,” Sheen said. “It’s called Charlie Sheen. It’s not available because if you try it you will die. Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.”

With files from Star staff and wire services