What Happens to Charlie if Ratings Soar? A Big Bonus and a Short Rehab

Although Charlie Sheen has finally checked himself into an undisclosed rehab facility, no one knows how seriously he's going to take it until the ratings come in for this week's 'Two and A Half Men.'

"If the ratings go through the roof again, as they did after Charlie's incident in New York, CBS and Charlie will be out again in no time and back to his old ways," warns a close friend of the actor. "However, if the public finally stops rewarding Charlie for his bad behavior, then, and only then, can you expect him to take the situation seriously."

Why? It's simple. Charlie makes a substantial bonus on his industry-topping salary ($1.25M per episode!) if the show does particularly well.

[On that subject ... the next highest actor in sitcom land is Sheen's co-star, Jon Cryer, at $550,000 per episode. The 'Half' in the show, Angus T. Jones, is TV's highest paid teen, raking in $250,000 per.]

Mark Burg, the star's manager and an executive producer of his hit show, told PEOPLE, "Charlie knows he has work to do, and he is looking forward to regaining his sobriety."

He added, "Charlie hopes to be back at work in the near future, but there is no time frame. Regaining his sobriety is what is most important."

But insiders familiar with the situation tell me CBS only has two unaired episodes of TV's No. 1 comedy in the can. So although team Charlie claims there is no time frame ("near future"), they mean they hope the troubled actor is back on the set within a few weeks.

McKidd dishes on what's coming up on 'Grey's'

Get ready for some more love-polygon hijinks, "Grey's Anatomy" fans!

That's the word from Kevin McKidd (Dr. Owen Hunt) about next week's episode, which marks the actor's TV directorial debut—and answers the most important question of all:

How do you tell your on-again, off-again girlfriend that you've impregnated your on-again, off-again sex friend who, by the by, is currently separated from her lesbian lover?

Q&A With Grey's Anatomy Star Kevin McKidd

What can you tell us about the episode—titled "Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)"—you directed?

Mark (Eric Dane) has things to deal with Lexie (Chyler Leigh), like how's he going to tell her about Callie's (Sara Ramirez) pregnancy. That plays out in a big way.

The episode revolves around the very first day of Derek Shepherd's (Patrick Dempsey) clinical trial for Alzheimer's, which then plays out for the rest of the season. The trial very important to Derek.

That's the framework, and also during that day Callie has a meltdown—her hormones are up. She's very anxious...about how things are going to go down with Arizona and Mark. So she has an OB doctor, Rachael Taylor, who is a new castmember—Callie drives her around the bend because Callie basically becomes hypochondriac, which is very funny but also very touching and moving.

How much acting do you do in the episode?

They wrote my character to basically be at the dentist for most of the episode which is great, so I got a chance to take the foot off the gas—I did have to act in one scene.

Do you get to direct Sandra Oh as Cristina in this episode? Is she fully back on her feet?

She's back, she's healthy again, and she's not paralyzed in the way that she was, and it's fun. She's back and fighting, pushing people out of the way to get into an OR, all that stuff. It's great to see Cristina back to her old tricks.

How did your fellow castmembers react to you being behind the camera?

Everyone in the cast, everyone, came up to me and they were just so supportive. Patrick [Dempsey] said to me, 'I've got your back.'
Everyone knows it's a lot of stress and you've taken on a whole new thing and there are millions of dollars riding on your shoulders and all that stuff--and everybody was amazing and I am very thankful to all of them. They just came to work and just supported me in the most loving way, and I will be eternally grateful to all of them for that, I have to say.

What's it like behind the scenes these days?

It's really a very good place to come to work. We all have other actor friends, a lot of people in this industry are finding it hard to get work because of the economy, so we all are very painfully aware of how lucky we are, and we're just blessed to come to work every day and get to act and get to do the thing we love so.

Everybody has their lives, a lot of people have kids, and it's almost like we all come to work and have fun catching up with each other and find out how things are going with each other...it's almost like a getaway from our real lives. That's the way it should be--being an actor is all about make-believe and about transporting yourself from this real world, and that's what I love about acting. I think it's a really fun and healthy and warm place to work.

Where did your directing ambition start—have you done it before? How did you approach the executive producers with your interest?
I have worked with some great directors, I've been very lucky over the years to watch some great directors make real visions come alive, but I've always been too busy really as an actor to pursue it. But I approached [the "Grey's Anatomy" producers] about a year and a half ago to ask if I could shadow directors maybe and start to learn. So I did that and then they said, look, we have these webisodes and we would like you to direct some.

I think the webisodes were my tryout or my audition, and it seems like I passed it because they offered me an episode pretty quickly after that.

I feel very lucky about how it's all gone. I am still pinching myself.

What elements of this episode are you most proud of as a director?

Everyone, including the guest stars, gives good performances, and I am very pleased with the teaser, this little two-minute sequence before the title card comes up. And I am also very pleased with the montage of act five and the montage of act six, where the music kicks in. I am just really pleased with how those all came out emotionally and the transitions from scene to scene, how all that edited together in the way that I hoped it would—I'm proud of those moments.

Be sure to tune in to "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC next Thursday at 9 p.m. for Kevin McKidd's television directorial debut, "Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)."

What has 2 Thumbs, 19 Kids and 3 Houses?

THIS GUY!!!! "Sister Wives" dad Kody Brown struck his best Fonz pose while moving one of his wives into her new Vegas home this week -- one of THREE pads the 24-member family will be living in.

Sources close to the polygamous posse tell TMZ ... Kody is renting three homes on the same block in a Vegas-area community -- and TMZ obtained photos of K-dog moving Meri into house #1 earlier this week.

We're told the rest of the fam will be spread out in the other two homes -- with two of Kody's 4 wives doubling up in one house.

As we first reported -- Kody moved the gang to Nevada so he and his wives can "explore new job opportunities" -- and although the details of the new careers are still unclear ... Kody seems to have a future in moving.

What Is Oprah Winfrey's Big Secret?

Last week, Oprah Winfrey revealed that a revealing revelation would be revealed...Monday!

She told viewers a family secret "shook her to her core" when she first learned of it months ago. She also teased brief footage of a reunion, with someone seen (only from behind) stepping from the shadows onto the stage for an embrace.

But who is it? Someone Oprah never expected to see again? Someone Oprah never knew existed? A child? A sibling? A doppelganger twin sister?!? Oprah called the news a "miracle."

Last year, the TV star did her best to ignore the release of Kitty Kelley's unauthorized biography, which contained allegations unearthed during interviews with relatives. One cousin said Oprah's biological father wasn't Vernon Winfrey, and claimed to know who was -- Kelley left the name unpublished, but did she privately share the info so Oprah could investigate the claim?

The big 'Oprah Winfrey Show' episode airs within hours, but all weekend, fans have been obsessed with The Oprah Family Secret, especially on Twitter ("I say it's that she was secretly placed here on earth by space aliens," said one tweet; "Oh, Sweet Baby Jesus, please don't let it be like in 'The Crying Game.' Please!" wrote TV reporter Bobby Rivers; "She's probably preggies," said one Twitter guesser). Read on for more intriguing, and absurd, possibilities!

Oprah, the suspense is brutal, but you started it -- so forgive the excitement as the world speculates wildly!

Say What? Jabbering Jets Keep Talking and Winning

Call them whatever bleepin' names you want — and plenty already have. Rex Ryan's bunch of blabbermouths isn't shutting up anytime soon.

They insult the other team's quarterback, needle the opposing coach and never stop yapping.

Not the way it's normally done in the NFL. Not in any sport, really.


Only with these jabbering New York Jets, it's working. Cover your ears because they're talking all the way back to the AFC championship game.

"We've got guys who are confident," defensive back Dwight Lowery said Monday, "and we all show that confidence in different ways."

They take their cue from Ryan. He's made bold predictions from the moment he took over two years ago, coaching a franchise that had lacked an identity ever since Broadway Joe made the biggest boast of all 42 years ago.

Sometimes, Ryan and his guys have been a bit profane. But if that offends other people, well, then too bad.

Besides, a win Sunday in Pittsburgh and the Jets reach the Super Bowl for the first time since that famous 1969 win over the Baltimore Colts.

No wonder Joe Namath loves what he's seeing — and hearing.

"THATS WHAT WE'RE TALKIN ABOUT!!!" Namath tweeted after Santonio Holmes' tremendous TD catch Sunday against New England.

Next up, the green-and-white sequel in this made-for-TV season.

"Everybody's true to their colors here," defensive lineman Sione Pouha said. "This is Rex's style, and as everyone can see, we love it."

Just ask the Patriots, who've seen and heard enough of the Jets to last an entire offseason. After New York's wild on-field celebration in Foxborough — complete with Braylon Edwards' backflip — following a 28-21 win, Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch called the Jets "classless."

"Just take the loss like a man," cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "Just take it like a man, and move on."

So far, the Jets have backed up their tough talk.

First, Peyton Manning and Indianapolis.

Then, Tom Brady and the Patriots.

All on the road.

Standing in their way to the Super Bowl are Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers.

"I think we know the formula that it takes to win," Ryan said. "Now, we just have to go out and do it, albeit in an incredibly tough environment."

No, Ryan's confidence hasn't wavered one bit. Not with a trip to the Super Bowl at stake.

"I just talk the way it is," he said. "If you can't get motivated to win an AFC championship game, I don't know what else you need."

When Ryan first took over, he was hailed by many as a breath of fresh air in a league filled with tightlipped coaches who play things close to the vest.

"New York is very diverse and I think your team should reflect where you are," Lowery said. "That might have something to do with it. It might be that this is just the right coach for this organization and this area."

Anything goes with Ryan, whether it's self-deprecating humor about his weight or talking about how his team will meet the President Barack Obama someday soon.

The Jets' locker room is filled mostly with players who speak openly about themselves or their opponents — not worried about consequences or perceptions.

"I totally disagree with people saying we're trash talking," Pouha said. "We're confident talkers more than we are talking trash."

But there have been few teams in professional sports that have been successful on the field while being so loose off it.

Sure, there were the Super Bowl Shufflin' Bears of 1985, a team whose defensive coordinator was Ryan's father, Buddy. There were also the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s, the renegade Raiders of the 1970s, the 1986 New York Mets, the NBA's Bad Boy Pistons, and the stormy and scandalous Miami Hurricanes of the '80s.

These Jets under Ryan are the closest to a team people love to hate as we've seen in a while.

"Part of it is maybe because when you see a team that wins Super Bowls, or has a lot of repeated success, people try to duplicate that," Lowery said. "So, when the Patriots were winning a lot in the 2000s, it was like, that's what you needed to do to win. So, now, you have a lot of teams trying to adopt that style and it may not fit their style. Rex got a head job and just came in and this is how he wants to run the ship."

And, who knows? It could be the start of a louder, new trend in the NFL.

"Hopefully, because I feel like this is a better environment to be in and play football because there's a lot of stress that goes into this job," Lowery said. "You want to be able to have some kind of outlet, and one outlet to have is being yourself. You don't have to walk around with your arms at your side and stand straight and wear a suit everywhere.

"It's still a kid's game."

With big-boy dreams.

"Obviously, we set a goal to go to the show, and everybody has the same goal in August and the majority of people don't say it," Pouha said. "A lot of teams have great players and don't say it. Well, we say it."

And, people in other sports are taking notice. In fact, Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry imitated Ryan — who said the Jets-Patriots game was between him and Bill Belichick — before the team's 129-121 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

"It's personal," a joking Gentry said, referring to his former boss, Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni. "It's me and Mike, OK? It just comes down to me and Mike, that's it. It doesn't have anything to do with the players, anything. It's me and Mike. I've got to be a better coach than Mike today, OK?"

Talk about the ultimate form of flattery.

"Rex has said something like, 'There's always going to be people who like what you do, and others who don't like you, whether you're a football player, an astronaut, a doctor or just some guy on the street,'" Lowery said. "He's told us that people are not going to like us, and there are people that love us and others who are in between. So, you've just got to be yourself."

What Rich Rodriguez Could Learn from Brady Hoke

Beginning a new job is one of the most precarious situations that a person can find themselves in. It becomes even more so when that new job places you directly at the center of the national sports focus. With all eyes on you, there are two ways to handle your first day of work: feel out your situation and see where you fit in or come in guns blazing. The story of Michigan football has become a cautionary tale of what happens when you choose the latter.

When Rich Rodriguez was hired at the end of the 2007 season to help the Michigan football program recapture a national title, he was one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel. He had just transformed West Virginia into a Big East powerhouse, compiling a 60-26 record in seven years, including three straight years with ten or more wins.

Contrarily, Michigan was coming out of one of the lower periods in the programs history. They hadn't won a Big Ten championship in three years, the 2005 season saw them fail to finish in the top 25 for the first time in over a decade and they hadn't played in a national championship game since 2007. They needed an injection of life and while many alumni weren't sure of the decision, Rodriguez became the choice.

And it all was downhill from there.

What Rodriguez failed to understand is that when you come into a program that is the winningest in NCAA Division One history, you need to find a way to fit your personality and your style into the breed of football that has achieved such great levels of success. Instead of finding that happy marriage, Rodriguez decided to blow it up and start over with his own model.

He showed no inclination to mold his offense around the talents of Michigan's prize rising Sophomore QB Ryan Mallett, now a projected first-round pick out of Arkansas, clashed with likely starting guard Justin Boren, who transferred, and started, for rival Ohio State and had two four-star recruits (Taylor Hill and Dann O'Neill) transfer, citing differences with the schemes and program, saying Michigan "wasn't the right fit." Instead of choosing to work with what he had and slowly install his own system, he ostracized players that didn't fit into his style and chose to start from scratch, trusting his own talents over the schools years of success.

Showing a complete opposite approach, newly minted Michigan coach Brady Hoke, a traditional pro style man, sat down with the team's star, spread option QB Denard Robinson, upon first arriving on campus and assured him that he would tailor his offense to Robinson's special gifts. "We understand that when you have playmakers, you've got to be able to utilize them to their fullest so that they're going to help your football team," Hoke told the media later that day. "With Denard, his capabilities, obviously he's a tremendous athlete that can do a lot of things for you on offense. He'll be the lead part of that offense."

When RichRod was hired and went about changing the face of the offense, he also neglected what made Michigan such a traditional powerhouse: a stingy defense that made opponents earn every yard. He fired highly regarded defensive coordinator Ron English before the season started and a Michigan defense that ranked 24th in total defense nationally in 2007 fell to 69th in 2008, 82nd in 2009 and plummeted to 110th this past season.

Hoke, a former Michigan defensive line coach, is hell bent on bringing the defensive prowess and ferocious energy back to Michigan football. He knows that that's been the bread and butter of the Wolverine's success for so many years. "I know we're going to be a defense that plays with great toughness and great effort. It's going to be a defense that's going to play fanatical. That's an expectation. The guys who play that way and play with that mentality are the guys that are going to represent Michigan on the field."

Rodriguez also failed to establish a strong relationship with the state of Michigan and it's notoriously loyal alumni. Instead of welcoming the tradition of intense support, like managers do when they take the Yankees job or coaches do when they sign on to lead the Cowboys, Rodriguez told some Michigan supporters to "get a life" before the Ohio State game in his first season. A comment that alone would have gotten him canned at either of the those jobs.

Contrarily, Hoke immediately expressed his desire to turn this football team back into a Michigan team. "This is the University of Michigan, the winningest program in college football. Obviously an important piece of it is this state and the talent that's in this state, and then regionally. We're going to focus our attention on that, we're going to compete, we're going to work, and we're going to extend ourselves to those high school coaches and those programs. We want their student-athletes to be part of Michigan."

So, while Rich Rodriguez can complain all he wants about not getting the support he feels he deserved from Michigan, he has only his bravado and confidence to blame for his failure. He's the only coach who tried to change the face and culture of the winningest school in collegiate football history and, not coincidentally, is the only coach to leave Michigan with a losing record since 1891 (and that includes three coaches that only lasted one season). Instead of finding a way to have the principles of the university co-exist with his style, he threw his cards all in, betting on himself.

And lost.

Bruce Willis On What He Really Thought About Ricky Gervais Calling Him ‘Ashton Kutcher’s Dad’

Bruce Willis might have been too shocked at being introduced as “Ashton Kutcher’s dad” by Ricky Gervais at Sunday night’s Golden Globes to respond with a quip on stage, but he knew it was a headline making moment.

“Funny guy,” Bruce told reporters backstage at the ceremony, when asked for his reaction to Ricky’s words. “It will be in the papers tomorrow.”

But Bruce — who was on hand Sunday night as a presenter at the awards show — isn’t letting anything bother him. In fact, he told reporters he’s indulging in one of the best times of his life.

“Never happier than you see me at this point in my life,” Bruce said.

The actor also had an update on “Expendables 2,” the sequel to the 2010 action-hero film starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren.

“Apparently it’s going to happen this year,” he said.

When asked if he will be in it — as has been rumored — Bruce confirmed the news.

“As far as I know, barring any unforeseen circumstances, but yeah, I would love to be a part of it,” he said.

Walking Alone at Liverpool-That Is What Is Wrong with Liverpool Football Club?

You’ll never walk alone? Tell that to Roy Hogdson. It may be time to change the words on the gate outside of Anfield.

What is wrong with Liverpool Football Club? The fans, the owners, the players, the attitude all can be improved. I think it is a good time for some serious reflection and evaluation at Liverpool. I see this removal of Roy Hodgson as Liverpool manager as a step backward for a club hovering just above the relegation zone.

The fans think they are the board of directors. If you believe what you hear, Roy Hogdson’s departure was due to his questioning the support of the fans. I have to agree with Roy. The fans were not behind him and the club. The fans have too much of say in the operational decisions of the club. While I respect the passion and emotion of Liverpool fans, the negative fans are part of the Liverpool problem.

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” Have you ever heard the chant directed at a struggling coach? Some people may wonder if the new American owners know what they are doing. Do you really think Kenny Daglish can do any better than Roy Hogdson this season and in the future? I don’t think so.

The new American ownership group is new on the scene ready to make a change to secure their new investment. I understand the operational risk associated with the financial changes of being relegated. Sometimes a decisive move is needed to make a course correction to make sure he team is not relegated outside the Premier League. I didn’t think Spurs firing of Juande Ramos was a good move when Spurs were bottom at Christmas a few years ago, but as I look at the result I don’t think anything could have worked out better for Spurs than replacing Ramos with Harry “Houdini” Redknapp. The new Liverpool owners may be wiser than I give them credit. I think it is only fair to give a new manager time to prove himself.

I think the new American ownership group moved the progress-o-meter back six months since any new manager is going need time to build the team’s tactics and players into his system. I liked Hogdson ideas of a football community where players lived and participated in the neighboring area of the club. If you look at what Hodgson did at Fulham with the budget and players he had versus what was done at Fulham before he got there, he is a fine manager. What do I say when I hear how Roy was in over his head for the Liverpool manager position? “Poppycock!”

Well, Rafa Benitez was not the right guy at LFC and now Roy Hogdson is not the right guy either. So, who is this special person that is good enough to take over at LFC? I don’t think there are any magic or miraculous answers for Liverpool and I don’t think Kenny will do any better than Roy would have. LFC needs to commit to a long term strategic improvement plan and business model. Managers need time to be given a chance.

The players are what is wrong with Liverpool. Dudes need to take responsibility for their poor play and start scoring goals and playing as a team. Torres form has been off, until Wednesday goal at Blackpool, and there is no other forward at Liverpool picking up the slack and scoring goals for Liverpool. The Liverpool selfish mentality should be the easiest thing for the players to change. Agger saying you must play me or trade me. If I was manager, I would trade Agger or cut him right away for putting himself before the team. Other examples of a bad attitude, Daglish and Babel complaining about the world’s best referee’s spot on decisions regarding a penalty kick for a push in the penalty area and a red card for a two footed tackle in the recent game versus Manchester United. Another problem area, Jamie Carragher’s injury has not helped the defense situation. For Liverpool to have hope in their heart this season, the focus needs to be on a positive attitude and teamwork.

Manager Daglish, I think you should look for some attacking options in the transfer window, avoid criticizing the refereeing and spend your time on your difficult managerial challenge. It won’t be easy as the club has failed recently with the last two promising coaches. Can you hear the clock is ticking? Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Kenny, are you sure your mobile connection on the boat was good when you took the Liverpool assignment and the owner didn’t ask you to be the undertaker manager, rather than the caretaker manager? Whatever was said, walking alone at Liverpool is not outside the realm of possibilities, even for Kenny Daglish.