Posted in: CBS, SYFY, TV | Tagged: battlestar galactica, Two And A Half Men

Jon Cryer on Picking Two and a Half Men Over Battlestar Galactica

Jon Cryer shares why he went with Chuck Lorre's Two and a Half Men instead of Ronald D. Moore's sci-fi classic Battlestar Galactica.

It's hard to argue that Jon Cryer's had a fulfilling career in comedy, the occasional drama, and more than his fair share of geek credibility with his roles in the Superman franchise, starting with the 1987 sequel Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and later, his greatest arch nemesis in the Arrowverse's Lex Luthor. Something the actor admitted came across that would have gone against type playing Dr. Gaius Baltar in the SYFY reboot of Battlestar Galactica, after turning it down for the CBS Chuck Lorre sitcom Two and a Half Men, the Ronald D. Moore series cast James Callis in the role. Cryer took to social media to reflect on what could have been choosing to play it safe rather than taking on a genre he hasn't dedicated himself to before.

Jon Cryer on What Could Have Been on Battlestar Galactica

Cryer quoted a fan post sharing a piece about how Battlestar Galactica would be different had it been created in 2024. Moore, who rebooted the Glen A. Larson original series that was created in 1978, told fans at San Diego Comic-Con, "I mean, the story itself would probably be different because I wrote it at a specific moment in our lives and in our history," Moore said (via Deadline Hollywood). "I was approached to do the project just a few months after the 9/11 attacks. As it was developed, it happened, and then there was Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, and we were dealing with the Patriot Act and a lot of issues of freedom versus security with terrorism in the modern world and fundamentalism. I wanted the show to talk about who we were at that moment. So if I were creating 'Battlestar Galactica' from scratch today, I don't know …. it's so hard to let go of what the show became."

"I remember reading the pilot script for 'Battlestar Galactica' and thinking: 'Holy shit, this is gonna change everything' and then freaking out because I was supposed to meet Ron Moore to possibly play Gaius Baltar the next day," Cryer wrote. "The network ended up offering me a test deal the same day CBS offered me one for 'Two and a Half Men.' I had to choose one or the other. Thank god I picked 2 1/2. Because [DigitalAlibi] absolutely rocked that role, and there was no way in hell I would've gotten that part auditioning against him. I think it ended up being the best Sci-fi show on TV. Like ever."

Everything turned out fine for the most part for Cryer being part of the highest-rated CBS sitcom for the bulk of the Lorre series' duration as a single father, Alan Harper. He was the only main cast member to appear in all 262 episodes over all 12 seasons as Angus T Jones, who played his son, Jake left at the end of season 10, and Charlie Sheen, who played Alan's brother, Charlie Harper, left at the end of season eight due to his meltdown with Lorre. With Extended Family canceled at NBC, perhaps Moore could give Cryer a call for For All Mankind season five?

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