It started in the fall of 2003 and it would enjoy more than a decade of success. Had Charlie Sheen stayed on board, who knows how much longer the show could've lasted. 'Two and a Half Men' went for 12 seasons and 262 episodes. During its time, it was among the top sitcoms around and that continues today thanks to its syndication deals on various networks.
Sure, Charlie Sheen was a major part, but a lot of the background characters also played a huge role, including the late Conchata Ferrell, aka Berta.
She was a huge fan favorite, who managed to steal every scene she was in. We'll take a look at her run on the show and how much she wound up making per episode. Sadly, she passed away in the fall of 2020 but fans will continue to celebrate her legacy, as the sitcom will remain timeless thanks to her contributions.
Ferrell Took A Different Approach During Her Audition
Landing the role of Berta on 'Two and a Half Men' was certainly not a guarantee for Conchata Ferrell. The late actress had lots of competition trying to get the role, there were 32 other women auditioning for the part.
Alongside AV Club, the sitcom star recalled the experience, as she revealed, she took a major risk when reading the lines, deciding not to use an ethnic accent, which is what the role required at first. Instead, she decided to be herself with a southern accent and we can clearly say it all worked out.
"The best story about Berta is my audition. I think they wanted her to be the ethnic character. They asked me to come with an Eastern European accent."
"So I worked it like they wanted, but I also worked it in my own voice, and I thought to myself, “You know, this really works better for me in my own voice, so what I ought to do is ask them if I can do it both ways.”
As she entered the room, given all the competition involved, the sitcom star knew she only had time to use on accent, and bravely, she used her normal voice. ''Chuck [Lorre] just laughed and said, “Well, do whatever makes you happy.” And I did it, and it was really funny, and I left thinking, “Well, if I don’t get it, it’s not because I didn’t do the best I could.” And it turned out that he really liked the idea of this woman being a trailer-park person."
The risk was all worth it as she landed the gig and made quite the salary because of it.
Berta Made Six-Figures On The Show
She wasn't making Charlie Sheen money, topping the million-dollar mark per episode, however, she still made quite the chunk of change.
The actress made $150,000 per episode on the show, given its success in the rating department, this figure does make sense.
Charlie Sheen topped the cast, making $1.2 million. He's still pocketing a lot of money thanks to the show, in large part due to the reruns and everything else included on the backend.
What is truly surreal to think about is the fact that Berta was supposed to be on the show for just two episodes. As we've seen on so many sitcoms, two episodes turns into three, and later, that guest-cameo turns into a mainstay on the show. This helped the actress get a lot richer.
She Was Only Supposed To Appear In Two-Episodes
It was set to be just two episodes, with Berta quitting because of Alan and Jake. The actress recalls going home after the episodes and hoping that wasn't the case given how much she fit in on the show.
"I remember coming home after the second show and saying to my husband, “Boy, I hope they’re thinking what I’m thinking, because I really fit there.” Then they called me in to do a third show, and when they did, they said, “I’m going to bring her back.” And I went, “Well, I really hope you do, because I really like her.” And they said, “I like her, too.” So that first year, I think I did eight or nine shows—I was a guest star all year—and then the beginning of the second season, he just put me in the house. He liked me in the house. And I loved being in the house.''
We can clearly say the right decision was made, as Berta became a big fan favorite and when she appeared in a scene, she always stole it. The late actress won't be forgotten.
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