Jon Cryer is and will always be a class act even if he does star on one of the most throwaway (and inexplicably successful) shows on television. He’s such a self-effacing guy, who can joke on one hand that he checked TMZ to see what Charlie Sheen was up to during those months of cocaine-filled briefcases, hookers, and nonsensical rants; yet he can still candidly admit that he had no idea that Sheen would derail so quickly when it came down to the wire. To promote the new season of “Two and a Half Men” (alongside his new co-star, Ashton Kutcher), Cryer sat for an interview to the Hollywood Reporter. While he makes it quite clear he reached out to Charlie Sheen during that infamous time period, Cryer also states for the record that the two actors have not spoken since their last day on set together. Charlie’s loss, right? Here’s a few other relevant excerpts:

On His New “Two and a Half Men” Co-Star: It’s kind of fun. It’s a very different dynamic that they’ve set up between Alan and Ashton’s character. It completely works.

How He Felt When Charlie Got Fired: A combination of shock and sadness because this wasn’t the way anybody wanted the show to end. And then fear — because at that point, let’s face it, I didn’t know if Charlie was going to be living another week.

On His Reaction To Ashton Signing On: My gut reaction was, I have no idea what that show is going to be like. [Laughs.] But the weird thing for me was this mythology that was created about the show and a feud between Chuck [Lorre] and Charlie. The tabloids took this whole thing and ran with it, and I just never saw it. Actors always have things that they’re not thrilled about on a show and have a hobby of bellyaching about those things. Charlie had his share of them, but nothing along the lines of an explosion. It was very strange to see Chuck’s actions be interpreted as a feud with Charlie when, if you’ll remember during that whole thing, when stuff was being said about him, he said nothing.

On His Acting Career: I’m feeling great about where I am right now. I’ve had a great run on a show that I really like, and we’re getting another shot at it. I’m also getting these crazy opportunities, like being in a production of Company with Stephen Colbert and the New York Philharmonic. I can’t imagine Jon Cryer performing with the New York Philharmonic isn’t one of the signs of apocalypse.

On The Character He Most Closely Associates With: Duckie. That was me in high school. And what has been nice is that character has really stuck around for people.

On What Duckie Would Be Doing Today: I think that anything that I could name would diminish it. It’s like when you go to the reunion and you see that guy you always thought was a quirky, fun, interesting person and he grew up not to be that. I don”t want to have that happen for people with Duckie.

[From Hollywood Reporter]

That bit about a fabricated feud is interesting, but I think that Cryer is subtly referring to the fact that Chuck Lorre was the one who spent a great deal of time holding his tongue because, certainly, Sheen’s mouth has always been a perpetual stream of verbal diarrhea as far as Lorre is concerned. Yet I understand that Cryer isn’t the type to talk trash about anyone (not even Charlie Sheen), and that’s just the kind of person he holds himself out to be.

Meanwhile, Cryer received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday with his wife, Lisa Joyner, in attendance as well as his “Two and a Half Men” co-stars. Ashton showed up looking like a dirty hippie, but at least he make an appearance to lend support. If Sheen were still on the show, he wouldn’t have even taken a moment away from sniffing the blow off a hooker’s backside to support anyone besides himself.

Photos courtesy of WENN