Woody Harrelson biography, Oscar nominations, age, net worth, height, wife 2025

Woody Harrelson Biography

Woody Harrelson is a well-known American actor and producer. Throughout his career, he has appeared in more than a hundred films and shows. His favorite genres are drama, comedy, and crime. He is an Emmy Award winner. Harrelson has been nominated for an Oscar three times and for a Golden Globe five times.

Childhood and Family

Woody's parents, Charles Voyde Harrelson and Diane Harrelson, had three sons and divorced when Woody was three years old. Woody always thanked his mother for not speaking ill of his father and never losing her temper with the children. Diane Harrelson was a devout person, worked as a secretary, and tried to give her children everything she could.

One day, 11-year-old Woody heard on the radio that a certain Charles Harrelson was on trial for the murder of District Judge John Wood. The boy was shocked but hoped until the last that it was not his father but some other Charles Harrelson. Woody found out that his father was a hitman not from his mother, who had hidden the cruel truth from the children, but from newspapers and radio. The trial was high-profile – it was the first murder of an American judge in the 20th century. Charles Harrelson already had one murder from 1968, so although he had served five years previously, he was sentenced to two life terms.

Woody Harrelson's Father Was Convicted of Murder

At the trial, the man swore financial difficulties had driven him to commit the crime. These words stayed with Woody for life, and he decided to do everything in his power to ensure that he and his family would never fall into poverty. Soon after the trial, Woody's mother moved her sons from Texas to Ohio, away from the hustle and bustle and nosy neighbors.

Apparently, Woody inherited a complex character from his father. He changed several schools and even attended a school for troubled teens. In his senior years, he took up wood carving, and in his free time, he worked at the Kings Island amusement park, trying to support his mother with some money. At 22, he was first arrested for dancing in the middle of a highway, having had too much to drink.

In 1983, Woody graduated from Hanover College in Indiana. He earned a bachelor's degree in theater arts and English. His college years were tumultuous and, as he recalled, quite wild. In his freshman year of college in 1980, Woody campaigned for people to vote for Reagan, sympathized with the Republicans, and believed all the "right-wing" promises. Later, Woody remembered this with a fair amount of irony, as he came to regard Reagan as one of the worst presidents in American history.

Along with theater arts, he studied theology, and then his beliefs began to change. At the age of 20, he turned away from both Reagan and God but became interested in environmental politics, supported by actor Ted Danson. Later in an interview, he said that the Bible is just a tool for controlling people.

10 Questions with Woody Harrelson

Woody led a free and eventful lifestyle: lots of alcohol, women, protests, and demonstrations. But Woody himself did not think it was a waste of time. He said that a rich life leads to the palace of wisdom.

Acting Career

Woody Harrelson began his acting career in 1978, when at 17 years old, he started performing in stage productions. Woody made his television debut in 1982, during the fourth season of the series "Cheers"; his character, Woodrow Huckleberry Tiberius Boyd, remained in the project until the end of the sixth season. The role made him famous, earning him five Emmy nominations, but he only won the award in 1989.

Woody Harrelson on Landing the Role of Woody Boyd on “Cheers” (2012)

A few years later, Woody decided it was time to leave television projects behind. He dreamed of a serious career in feature films. In 1991, he starred in the movie "Doc Hollywood" and over the next three years appeared in "White Men Can't Jump," "Natural Born Killers," and "Indecent Proposal" alongside Robert Redford and Demi Moore.

The comedy "Kingpin," where Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid try to win half a million dollars at a bowling championship, left a memorable impression on audiences. Then, the actor starred in the controversial biopic "The People vs. Larry Flynt," playing the publisher of the adult magazine "Hustler." He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for this role, but ultimately lost to Geoffrey Rush for his portrayal of David Helfgott.

For the role of Larry Flynt, Woody Harrelson was nominated for an Oscar

Woody Harrelson's next Oscar nomination came in 2010 – he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the film "The Messenger." Although, in the opinion of many viewers, his character's performance was no less convincing than that of Ben Foster's character. The actor played the captain of a U.S. Army unit tasked with delivering the terrible news to the families of fallen soldiers. However, he did not win the coveted statuette, which went to Christoph Waltz, star of Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds."

DP/30: The Messenger, actors Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster

In 2012, the actor appeared in the first part of the popular series "The Hunger Games" as Haymitch Abernathy, mentor to characters played by Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. He later participated in other parts of the franchise.

The Hunger Games: Woody Harrelson played Haymitch Abernathy

In 2013, he joined an excellent acting quartet with Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, and Mark Ruffalo in the thriller "Now You See Me." In the plot, four outstanding magicians pull off perhaps the most audacious heist of the century live on air. Harrelson's character is Merritt McKinney, a hypnotist.

Woody Harrelson in 'Now You See Me'

In 2014, Woody Harrelson's name appeared on the list of executive producers for the series "True Detective." He also starred as one of the main characters alongside Matthew McConaughey. The Louisiana detectives Martin Hart and Rust Cohle investigated an incredibly complex murder. The twisted plot, multifaceted characters, and excellent quality of acting brought "True Detective" international acclaim and a plethora of rave reviews.

Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson played together in the TV series 'True Detective'

In 2016, Woody Harrelson worked on the film "Suburbicon," directed by George Clooney. The screenplay was written by brothers Ethan and Joel Coen, whom the actor had previously worked with on the thriller "No Country for Old Men." The premiere of the film was scheduled for 2017, as was the blockbuster "War for the Planet of the Apes," in which Harrelson played the villain known as the Colonel.

At the end of 2017, Woody played one of the key roles in Martin McDonagh's new film "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." The Screen Actors Guild named the film the best of the past year, and Woody was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Scene

Harrelson appeared in the "Star Wars" spin-off about young Han Solo. The actor played Tobias Beckett, a criminal and mentor to the future pilot of the Millennium Falcon. In 2019, he starred in the comedy "Zombieland: Double Tap."

Woody Harrelson to play the mentor of young Han Solo

In 2021, Woody appeared in the new Marvel Universe film "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" with Tom Hardy. In the Spider-Man spin-off, Woody played Cletus Kasady, a serial killer who turned into Venom's antithesis – the evil Carnage.

According to Woody, he does not consider his character to be a straightforward villain. He had a difficult childhood, which left a mark on his psyche:

He's a child who couldn't deal with his emotional outbursts. Actually, I can't say that I've dealt with them myself.

Woody Harrelson's Personal Life

In 1985, the actor hastily married Neil Simon's daughter, Nancy Simon. The couple decided to separate almost immediately after the wedding, but due to paperwork, their marriage lasted ten months. After that, Woody Harrelson had many casual relationships, including a few dates with Juliette Lewis and a brief affair with Glenn Close.

Laura Louie worked as Woody's assistant, fending off persistent reporters, driving him home after nights out at the bar, preparing herbal concoctions for him, and striving to make his life as comfortable as possible. Once, during filming in Africa, he realized he was constantly thinking about Laura and suddenly recognized that he was in love with her.

Woody Harrelson and Laura Louie in their youth

Woody recalled how he took a guitar and wrote a song, and when he sang it to her, a bashful Laura admitted that she had been in love with him for two years. However, this didn't stop her from taking almost twenty years to consider Woody's proposal. They legalized their relationship only in 2008. The couple has three daughters: Deni Montana, Zoe Giordano, and Makani Ravello, and the proud father always called them "my three goddesses."

The family bought a villa in Hawaii and started growing their own vegetables because Woody is a committed raw foodist vegetarian. Moreover, in 2012, he received the title of Sexiest Vegetarian from PETA. He prefers fresh juice blends but once admitted that he enjoys drinking at parties.

Harrelson has always advocated for the legalization of marijuana and promoted laws for its free medical use. The actor has had several run-ins with the police: he was arrested for disorderly conduct when he danced on a highway in Ohio in 1982. In 1996, he was arrested in Kentucky for attempting to plant hemp, and in 2008, for a scuffle with a photographer.

Woody Harrelson advocates for the legalization of marijuana

Woody supports the brand Burberry, and in his free time, he wears jeans and prefers the color khaki.

The actor dislikes waking up early and respects people who have their own opinion, so he is impressed by the Apple company slogan, "Think Different."

Woody Harrelson Now

In 2022, the actor was seen in the satirical comedy "Triangle of Sadness" as a hard-drinking ship captain who ends up stranded on a deserted island. That same year, the action comedy "The Man from Toronto" was released on Netflix, where Harrelson's character is mistaken for a dangerous criminal.

Woody Harrelson on the set of 'Triangle of Sadness'

Harrelson landed the lead role in the miniseries "The White House Plumbers," based on the true events of Watergate and its origins. He played Howard Hunt, a U.S. intelligence officer who worked for Richard Nixon.

A still from the series 'The White House Plumbers'

At the beginning of 2024, the independent drama "Suncoast" premiered at Sundance, starring Nico Parker and Laura Linney. Harrelson was seen as a sort of "beach bum" and activist who befriends the main character and protests against the injustices of the healthcare system.

Woody Harrelson: latest news and articles

Who are the most attractive actors in Hollywood in uniform?

1 Nov 2018

Nyle Doherty Content writer

David Angel Davis

I`m looking forward to see him in the second part of Venom! The film ended up at the most interesting moment and I think that Woody is the best suited for the role of Carnage. His face is same crazy, hah.

2021-05-12 23:00:02
Betty Guerrero

I love him most for his role Haymitch in The Hunger Games. Woody completely conveyed on the screen the character that I imagined from the book.

2021-03-17 20:13:30
Amanda Gonzales

I`m not sure that I like him as an actor of drama films, his serious roles was not that good but as a comedy actor Woody has 10 points out of 10.

2021-03-12 22:43:09
Christopher Cobb

I love his role in the film Welcome to Zombilend. By the way just after this movie I started to like Woody.

2021-03-11 21:32:42
Dawn Clark

Woody Harrelson is good. Especially after the True Detective, all direct appreciated his talent.

2021-03-03 22:39:40