Brett Butler, the Charlie Sheen of the 90′s, comments on what he’s going through

[HMG Celebrity News] – Charlie Sheen’s life is unwinding in the media like the worst B-movie you ever saw. But he’s not the first star whose career faced a cliff-edge due to drugs. 90′s sit-com star Brett Butler has been there herself.

In 1993 her skills at stand-up won Brett a chance in the spotlight with her own show – ‘Grace Under Fire.’ The show became popular…Then came the pills. Prescription painkillers in this case. Soon, her behavior became so unstable the producers canceled the show, so she knows what Charlie is facing.

Now living on a spacious farm in the green hills of Georgia the 53-year old Alabaman is celebrating 12 years of being clean, and is still surprised she’s even alive.

“It’s amazing, not just that I didn’t die, but that somebody didn’t kill me,” she tells TV Guide. “The Hollywood experience is  surreal; Add some drugs and you’re in a kaleidoscope.”

Once the drugs got involved the show was shut down, just like Charlie’s, so Brett could get sober. This occurred several times and ABC finally just pulled the plug. Hollywood’s infamous breed of enablers and ‘friends’ also played a role in her downfall;

“There are Doctors and ‘friends’ to help you,” she says. “People will hand you matches as you’re standing next to that container of flammable stuff.”

The end came inevitably and suddenly one cold day in February of 1998;

“In one day I got fired, my husband left me, and he gave my dog to my sister,” Brett reminisces. “I knew for sure it was all over I went to the studio to get my stuff and armed guards escorted me.”

Getting clean took six months, but Butler says the worst part of the whole deal was what she did to her friends.

“I disappointed people I respect,” Butler admits. “I still feel awful for the people I worked with.”

Since ‘Grace’ went dark Butler has kept in touch with Chuck Lorre and the show’s producers. But the doors of Hollywood now seem firmly bolted against her;

“Over the years there were some conversations,” one source confirms. “But there are some things you can’t fix, and some people won’t take your calls, no matter what.”

Instead, Brett has done guest spots on ‘My Name is Earl’ and ‘Last Comic Standing.’ and gone back to her former career in stand-up. But now she says she’s ready for a comeback.

“I think something will happen when the right person remembers me,” she says. “I’ll have to look people in the eye and tell them I’m OK. I’d want to know I was sober if I were them.”

And despite clearly intending to use Charlie’s problems and profile to gain that re-entry Brett claims she has not been following the Sheen saga, but she can sympathize;

“Charlie has huge talent,” she concurs. “I’d feel terrible to think there’s a lot more people who have to go through what I did.”

Do you think Brett should maybe do a guest spot with Charlie, or maybe get  a new show of her own? She clearly does, but what’s your review?….