The Other Two And A Half Men Characters You Never Noticed This Actress Played
Throughout Two and a Half Men's lengthy run starting in 2003, untamed ladies' man Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) dated an almost endless stream of hotties, portrayed by the likes of Jenny McCarthy, Ming-Na Wen, Teri Hatcher, Denise Richards (Sheen's real-life wife at the time), and more. But while many of Charlie's "relationships" were memorable mainly for dysfunction and a certain flash-in-the-pan quality, he did seem to have something solid with Chelsea Melini, played by Jennifer Bini Taylor.
Charlie and Chelsea's drama-spiked affair lasted from their engagement in season 6 through their final breakup in season 7. But the duration of their relationship isn't the only reason it's memorable. Viewers can't forget, after all, that she's the first woman Charlie actually told he loved.
Why Chelsea? Certainly, she had plenty to offer: a quirky, snorty laugh; a forgiving nature; and plenty of money, too. Taylor created an enduring character that fans wanted to see again and again. But even the most devoted among them may not remember the other characters Taylor played on the show, long before Chelsea showed up on the scene.
It all started in the Two and a Half Men pilot episode
Taylor struck gold with her recurring role as Chelsea. But before that, she had a small part in the Two and a Half Men pilot as Suzanne, a character Charlie and Jake (Angus T. Jones) encounter in the grocery store while singing Charlie's famous Maple Loops jingle. Casually elegant in a red halter top, Suzanne wheels her cart over and pauses for a moment.
"You two are really good together. So, does your wife sing, too?" she asks Charlie, clearly fishing. When he tells her he's not married, she gives a quick laugh, remarks, "Oh, what a shame," and quickly moves on.
The brief flirtation doesn't lead to anything between Suzanne and the show's main character. But Taylor must have wowed the show's producers. In season 2 she's back as Tina, one of Charlie's ex-girlfriends. Like Chelsea, Tina also experiences a "first" with Charlie. He tells her he's sorry for not calling for a year and a half, making her the first of his ex-girlfriends to receive an apology.
"I was thoughtless and insensitive and I know I can never really make up for it, but I want you to know that I was wrong and I am really truly sorry," he says, in what can only be described as a heartfelt tone.
In season 5, Taylor plays Nina, a woman who briefly attracts Charlie's interest as a potential one-night stand and believes the lines he's fed her (but quickly leaves when the truth is revealed before the opening credits are over). And in season 6, Taylor finally shows up in the role that will continue through several episodes and critical storylines. As Chelsea, she makes an impression, captures Charlie's heart, and the rest is history.