Woody Harrelson is an American actor and
producer who impresses the audience with his charisma and eccentricity. Harrelson's whole
life is strikingly contrasting: in childhood, the boy's bad behavior hid a creative, vulnerable
soul, and in adulthood the scandalous actions overshadow a charming man who can melt any heart.
In the movies, the actor looks good in any role: both vicious bullies and true detectives. In this
video, made at the request of our subscribers, we will tell you about the life of a
talented actor and his fascinating fate.
Woody Harrelson – how a true detective,
a bully, and a Hollywood villain lives
Woodrow Tracey Harrelson was born on July 23,
1961 in Midland, Texas. Woody is the middle child in the family of Diane and Charles Harrelson;
he has an older brother Jordan and a younger brother Brett. When the boy turned 3 years old,
his parents divorced, and his father disappeared from the children's lives, and their upbringing
fell entirely on the shoulders of his mother, who worked as a secretary in a law office.
The family was poor, but despite this, the religious mother was able to raise her
children in love and set them on their feet. Meanwhile, the boy's father was a card sharper,
was related to the mafia and worked as a hitman, for which he was convicted in
1968. Shortly after the trial, Diane took her sons to her hometown of Lebanon,
Ohio, to protect them from gossip and rumors. The future actor, born on the same day as his
father, inherited his hard temper. Woody was a difficult teenager who had to change more than
one school due to constant fights with peers. At the same time, Harrelson was
very religious and devoted a lot of time to studying the Bible, and in
his spare time he worked at the Kings Island amusement park to help
his mother support the family. Charles had already served his time in prison at
the time, but imprisonment taught him nothing, and he resumed his activities, committing the
murder of federal judge John H. Wood Jr., for which he received two life sentences. Woody found
out about this high-profile case from newspapers and radio and was shocked, because his mother
never said anything bad about his father. At the trial, Charles also confessed to the attempted
assassination of President John F. Kennedy, but there was no evidence of this, and no
criminal case was opened. At the same time, Woody never ceased to respect his father and
often visited him, and as an adult he even tried to have the case reviewed, but in vain. After
an unsuccessful escape from prison in Atlanta, the inmate was transferred to a higher-security
prison in Colorado, where he lived out his life. In 1979, the future actor graduated from high
school, after which he entered Hanover College in Indiana, where he studied English and
theology. That's where the guy stepped on the stage for the first time and realized that
this is his element, after which he changed his major to acting, and in 1983 he received a
bachelor's degree in theater and English. Harrelson's student years were turbulent
and intense: a lot of alcohol, women, protests and rallies, which eventually
could not go without consequence. In 1982, Woody was arrested for dancing in the middle of a
busy street while intoxicated. Then the rebel had to be rescued by his mother, who had always been
patient and understanding with his son's antics. After college, Harrelson became actively
involved in theatrical productions. In 1984, Woody rose to fame because of a stage
version of the play Biloxi Blues, written by renowned playwright Neil Simon. Remarkably,
Harrelson was connected with the playwright not only by the play, but also by Simon’s
daughter Nancy, whom the guy married in 1985. However, the young people got married for
fun and wanted a divorce the next day, but because of the paperwork their
marriage officially lasted 10 months. In the same year, the young actor made his
debut on television, in season 4 of the series Cheers and starred in it until the
11th season, replacing Nicholas Colasanto, who died suddenly before filming another
season. The role of Woody Boyd made him famous: the actor was nominated for an Emmy Award five
times, but he managed to receive the award only in 1989. The project itself is considered to be one
of the 50 best TV series of the world of all time. His beloved character, Woody Boyd, appeared in the
cartoon Mickey's 60th birthday, as well as in the TV series Disneyland, The Simpsons, and Frasier.
After his successful debut in Cheers, Harrelson starred in the films: Wildcats,
Bay Coven, Killer Instinct, and Cool Blue, as well as in the TV series Dear John. After becoming popular, the actor began to lead a
wild lifestyle: he consumed a lot of alcohol and had a lot of one-night stands. Laura Louie, who
worked as his personal assistant, helped him stay afloat. The girl turned off annoying journalists,
brought the celebrity home after partying, brewed herbal teas for him, made sure that the actor did
not miss rehearsals and important events. All in all, she was that important person who ensured
that Harrelson's career was only going uphill. After several years of cooperation, the man
caught himself thinking that he loved Laura and confessed this to her. In response, the girl
didn't hide the fact that she herself had been in love with him for 2 years. Since then, young
people began to live in a common-law marriage, but this did not reduce the number of
female fans of the charming actor. In 1990, People magazine included Woody Harrelson in the
list of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. In 1991, Woody appeared in the movie Doc
Hollywood, and the next year he played the main role in the sports comedy White Men Can't Jump
with Wesley Snipes. They worked together so well that they were nominated for an MTV Movie Award
for Best On-Screen Duo. Later, the actors starred together in the film Money Train, for the role in
which Harrelson received a fee of $ 5.5 million. In 1993, Woody played one of the roles in the
film Indecent Proposal, which had a budget of $38 million and grossed more than $266 million
in theaters, with a mixed reception from critics. On the one hand, the film was awarded the MTV
Movie Award for Best Kiss, on the other hand, Harrelson won the Golden Raspberry
anti-award for Worst Supporting Actor. Nevertheless, this fact has not affected
the demand for the actor in any way, and he was offered exciting new roles. For
example, in 1994, Woody starred in the drama I'll Do Anything, as well as in the action
films The Cowboy Way and Natural Born Killers. The latter also starred Juliette Lewis, with
whom, according to rumors, Woody actually had a relationship. For their successful collaboration,
the actors were nominated for the MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo and for Best Kiss. After
watching this film, deranged fans went out to kill people, and at least eight murders were committed
under the influence of the film. The film company was sued, accused of inciting teenagers to
crime and even of involvement in murders. All of Hollywood was eagerly awaiting the results
of the trial, but the charges were dropped. In 1996, Harrelson starred in the TV
series Spin City and in the movie Kingpin, where he played a striking
role of a professional bowler, although the filmmakers argue that in
real life, Woody was not so good at it. What he was really unbeatable at was his unusual
actions. In 1996, Woody, being an avid marijuana smoker, staged a whole show in Kentucky,
defiantly planting four cannabis seeds, thereby challenging state laws that ignored
the differences between technical cannabis and marijuana. The actor did not have time to
shake off the soil from his hands, as he was immediately arrested. However, the next day he
was released and issued a symbolic fine of $200. In the same year, the actor appeared in the
title role in the controversial biopic The People vs. Larry Flynt, playing the publisher of
the adult magazine Hustler. For this role, Woody received nominations for a Screen Actors Guild
Award, Golden Globe, and Oscar for Best Actor, and the movie itself won the Golden Bear prize
at the Berlin Film Festival. Curiously enough, Larry Flynt's screen brother Jimmy was played
by Woody's real brother Brett Harrelson. This was followed by roles in films: The
Sunchaser, Welcome to Sarajevo, Wag the Dog, The Hi-Lo Country, Palmetto, The Thin Red
Line, Play It to the Bone, and EDtv, which also starred Matthew McConaughey. It's noteworthy
that in real life, the actors are close friends. In the early 2000s, the actor starred in the TV
series Will & Grace and in the movie Scorched. Moreover, the title of the film perfectly
describes the events taking place in real life of the actor: in 2002, Woody was chilling
in a pub in London, where he met a couple of girls who offered the actor to spend the night
with them. Harrelson accepted the invitation, which he later regretted very much, because one
of his new friends turned out to be a reporter and wrote an article about this event. Then
the media discussed the main question: will the beloved of the actor, who at that time had
already given birth to two daughters, forgive the infidelity. Laura has always been understanding
of the antics of her life partner, so not only forgave the adultery, but a few years later
gave birth to Hollywood star's third daughter. These London events formed the
basis of the movie Lost in London, where Harrelson made his debut as a director,
and also acted as a producer and screenwriter. The production of the movie came out quite
revolutionary: it was filmed in one shot, and the shooting process was directly broadcast
in cinemas. Although the movie appeared 15 years after the scandal, nevertheless, the actor
tried to justify his behavior, albeit late. Since 2003, Woody's filmography has not been
so actively replenished with prominent movies: the actor mostly starred in low-budget films
or he got minor roles. During that period, he appeared in the films: Anger Management,
After the Sunset, She Hate Me, The Big White, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, Free Jimmy,
A Scanner Darkly, A Prairie Home Companion, The Grand, as well as the drama North Country,
the role of a hockey player in which was very difficult for Harrelson, because he had never
been on skates before. On the set of this movie, Woody managed to get into trouble by
accidentally breaking Chris Menges's nose.
In 2007, Harrelson starred in the crime drama
The Walker, the action movie Battle in Seattle, and the Oscar-winning film No Country for Old
Men. The following year he appeared in the film Seven Pounds, where he played the role of a meat
merchant. Funnily enough, in the acclaimed movie Natural Born Killers, Woody's character had the
same job. In 2008, the actor also appeared in the films Transsiberian, Sleepwalking,
Semi-Pro, Surfer Dude, and Management. The actor's personal life also attracted
public attention in 2008. Woody and Laura, after 20 years of living together, decided
to legitimize their relationship and many were surprised by the fact that all these years it was the reckless Harrelson who was ready
to marry, but his beloved didn't want to. After the wedding, the actor's career began
to gain momentum. In 2009, several significant movies appeared in Harrelson's filmography. For
example, for his role in the film The Messenger, Woody was nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe
and other film awards for Best Supporting Actor. In the same year, the comedy horror
film Zombieland was released. The shooting lasted only 42 days and could have
ended earlier, but Harrelson was detained for 24 hours for marijuana possession. The scene from
the movie where Woody's character wipes tears with money has become a popular meme. The actor was so
invested in the role that once even got aggressive towards the paparazzi who followed him, explaining
it by the fact that he took him for a zombie. The victim filed a lawsuit against Harrelson in
the amount of $2.5 million for the attack and the damaged camera, but over time the parties
were able to come to a peace agreement. Woody also starred in the disaster film 2012,
the shooting of which cost $200 million, and the box office returns totaled $770
million. To promote the film they even created a mock video blog in which Harrelson, as
his character, talks about the impending disaster. Then the actor appeared in the films:
Defendor, Bunraku, Friends with Benefits, and Rampart. In the latter, Woody Harrelson
and Brie Larson play a father and daughter, whose relationship is extremely strained. Funnily enough, they played exactly the same
roles in the drama The Glass Castle in 2017. In 2012, Woody starred in the film Seven
Psychopaths and in the television drama Game Change for his role in which he
was nominated for an MTV Channel Award, a Golden Globe and other awards. The actor also
played the role of a drunkard mentor in the first part of the acclaimed Hunger Games series.
Preparation for this film was very serious for most of the actors: they were engaged in
archery, rock climbing, yoga, and martial arts. Subsequently, Harrelson took part
in other films of the franchise. The following year, an equally successful movie
starring Woody was released, Now You See Me, with a budget of 75 million dollars and box
office returns exceeding 350 million dollars. In order to plausibly play an illusionist in this
film, Harrelson worked with a real professional mentalist for several weeks. A few years later,
the actor appeared in the sequel of this film. In 2014, Woody starred in the TV series True
Detective, the role in which became one of the most significant in his career. His co-star
turned out to be Matthew McConaughey, with whom they created the perfect duo of detectives in
the first season. For each episode of the series, Harrelson received $200,000, and in this
project he acted not only as an actor, but also as an executive producer. For the role
of Martin Hart, Woody was nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild
Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series. In subsequent years, Harrelson appeared in the
following films: Triple 9, The Duel, The Edge of Seventeen, LBJ, Wilson, The Glass e, War for
the Planet of the Apes, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a successful role in
which showed that Woody's talent is limitless. The Golden Globe Award named it the best
film of the year, and Harrelson himself was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting
Role for many film awards, including the Oscar, but Woody did not win, unlike his colleagues
on the set Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell. The film with a budget of $15 million managed to
collect $160 million in cinemas around the world. Then Woody starred in the films: Shock and Awe,
Venom, The Highwaymen, Midway, a spin-off of Star Wars about young Han Solo, as well as in the
sequel to the horror movie Zombieland: Double Tap. Funnily enough, the story about Elvis,
which Woody's character tells in the hotel, is actually Harrelson’s personal story of how
he became an actor. And during the end credits, Elvis Presley's song Burning Love was
performed by Woody Harrelson himself. In 2021, the actor pleased his fans
with his roles in several films: the action movie Kate, the comedy
series Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the sequel to the superhero
movie Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which was shot with a budget of $110 million, and
the box office eventually exceeded $500 million. In 2022, the actor appeared in The Man
from Toronto and Triangle of Sadness. Recently, the premiere of the sports
comedy Champions took place, where Harrelson played the main role. A mini-series
starring the actor, White House Plumbers, is also expected to be released this year.
At the moment, the actor is involved in the filming of the movie Project Artemis
and is preparing for the filming of the series The Most Dangerous Man In America.
In real life, Woody Harrelson has an active social position as an anarchist who does not
support any political powers in the country. The artist promotes vegetarianism and calls
to abandon the use of fur, leather and other materials for which animals are killed. He ranked
among the twenty most popular vegan celebrities. As an environmental activist, Harrelson
repeatedly participated in festivals and protests, and to attract attention to the UN Children's
Fund, he played football for the Rest of the World team and even scored the decisive
goal at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester. Moreover, the Hollywood star has been an
advocate of legalizing marijuana for years, and doesn't deny himself the pleasure of using it
for recreation. Woody is also a gambler, having inherited this trait from his father, and is able
to easily spend a fortune on betting or poker. Perhaps his responsible wife keeps Woody from
going on a rampage and, despite his addiction, he is still a sought-after actor,
and his net worth is estimated at $70 million earned from the movies. At the
same time, Harrelson would not refuse to star in commercials. He once appeared
in a commercial for Miller Lite beer. Today, the actor leads a quiet life and
tries to spend more time with his family. Woody affectionately calls his
daughters and wife "My goddesses". Together with his family, Harrelson lives on
the island of Maui in Hawaii, which is famous for its exotic wildlife. The population of the
island is only 200 people and they all take care of the environment and lead a healthy lifestyle.
The actor bought this plot of land back in 1999 and eventually built a huge estate on it, which is
currently estimated at $20 million. The property is striking in its contrast: a modern luxury
building surrounded by untouched vegetation. The interior of the estate is very refined,
it combines expensive furniture and the author's design style, and some rooms even
feature antique motifs. The bathrooms are decorated with expensive marble, and the master
bedroom impresses with its aristocratic style. There is also an orchard and
vegetable garden on the property, where Woody takes pleasure in growing organic
fruits and vegetables. There are other ways in which Woody takes care of the environment:
for example, the actor's estate is equipped with solar panels, and the man himself
travels around the island on a bicycle. Of course, he also has a Volkswagen
Beetle car, but it runs on biodiesel. The couple owns real estate in Beverly Hills, California, where the actor lives during
the filming. And it happens quite often, because Harrelson hasn't exhausted his creative
resources yet. The actor has a lot of outstanding works in his filmography, he was nominated
for an Oscar three times, but never won.
Do you think Woody Harrelson will be able
to get the major award in the film industry?
