Randy Quaid in talks to open for Charlie Sheen in Vancouver

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The idea that Randy Quaid could open for Charlie Sheen when Sheen performs in Vancouver has been bandied about as a bit of a joke since Sheen announced that he'd be bringing his Torpedo of Truth tour here next month.

But Quaid's new record label is trying to make it happen.

Maximum Music Group - which is recording two songs with Quaid in Vancouver - presented the proposal to Live Nation late last week and says the idea was "favourably received" by the concert promoter behind Sheen's tour.

"I think it'd be a hoot," said Quaid, who has been living in Vancouver since October with his wife Evi. The two escaped legal troubles in the U.S. and claimed refugee status in Canada, saying they were targets of a murderous conspiracy of Hollywood "star whackers." Evi Quaid - whose father was born in Canada - has been granted Canadian citizenship and is sponsoring her husband.

The Sheen proposal would involve Quaid performing the two songs he debuted at Vancouver's Commodore Ballroom last month, songs he is now recording for digital release likely later this month: a Johnny Cash-esque ballad Will We Be Together Then and Star Whackers, a loud shouted-more-than-sung tune that starts with the idea of being arrested "just for being a celebrity" and goes on to expand on their star whackers theory.

"It's apropos to his situation, and apropos to my situation," said Quaid, who did three films with Sheen, including Major League II (1994), No Man's Land (1987) and the 1986 action horror thriller The Wraith.

Quaid says he'd like to have Sheen join him on stage to sing back-up on Star Whackers.

"That'd be great: have Charlie come out [and sing]'I'm talking about Whackers!'"

Both actors, of course, have had their troubles of late: Sheen was very publicly fired from his hit TV show Two and a Half Men after bizarre rants in media interviews, and Quaid and his wife were arrested in Vancouver on outstanding vandalism and trespassing warrants in California.

The potential Sheen gig is just one of the irons Quaid has in the fire at the moment.

He says he is also working with This Hour Has 22 Minutes executive producer Michael Donovan (who also produced Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine) on a pilot for a CBC television series.

"We've had lengthy talks, negotiations," said Quaid.

The idea is in the very early, idea stage, but Quaid says it won't be a reality show.

"I'm an actor. I wouldn't want to do a reality program. But it would be something that I guess would reflect what Evi and I are experiencing, yet there would be another dimension to it. ... We haven't really formulated it; it's like an idea we all have in our heads. ... I know and Evi knows it'll work, production-wise. All the elements will come together. We know how to do that. But it's going to be a comedy and hopefully it'll be really unique in telling an extraordinary life. Or else we just won't do it. We're going to try one shot at it and see if it has possibilities and if it's just an experiment gone awry then we'll abandon it. But the network is interested, is very interested."

A CBC spokesperson described the project as: "a work-in-progress," but added there were "no final decisions at present."

Evi Quaid is also working on a docudrama called Star Whackers, which the Quaids will present as a work-in-progress at Vancouver's Rio Theatre April 22.