Quotes:
"Violence was almost an aphrodisiac for me."
Woody Harrelson
| Quotes By: Woody Harrelson |
| Actor: Woody Harrelson |
- Born: Jul 23, 1961 in Midland, Texas
- Occupation: Actor
- Active: '80s-2000s
- Major Genres: Comedy, Drama
- Career Highlights: The People Vs. Larry Flynt, White Men Can't Jump, Wag the Dog
- First Major Screen Credit: Cheers: Season 04 (1985)
Biography
Known almost as much for his off-screen pastimes as his on-screen characterizations, Woody Harrelson is an actor for whom truth is undeniably stranger than fiction. Son of a convicted murderer, veteran of multiple arrests, outspoken environmentalist, and tireless hemp proponent, Harrelson is colorful even by Hollywood standards. However, he is also a strong, versatile actor, something that tends to be obscured by the attention paid to his real-life antics.Born in Midland, TX, on July 23, 1961, Harrelson grew up in Lebanon, OH. He began his acting career there, appearing in high-school plays. He also went professional around this time, making his small-screen debut in Harper Valley P.T.A. (1978) alongside Barbara Eden. While studying acting in earnest, Harrelson attended Indiana's Hanover College; following his graduation, he had his first speaking part (one line only) in the 1986 Goldie Hawn vehicle Wildcats. On the stage, Harrelson understudied in the Neil Simon Broadway comedy Biloxi Blues (he was briefly married to Simon's daughter Nancy) and at one point wrote a play titled Furthest From the Sun. His big break came in 1985, when he was cast as the sweet-natured, ingenuous bartender Woody Boyd on the TV sitcom Cheers. To many, he is best remembered for this role, for which he won a 1988 Emmy and played until the series' 1993 conclusion. During his time on Cheers, Harrelson also played more serious roles in made-for-TV movies such as Bay Coven (1987), and branched out to the big screen with roles in such films as Casualties of War (1989) and Doc Hollywood (1991).
Harrelson's big break as a movie star came with Ron Shelton's 1992 sleeper White Men Can't Jump, a buddy picture in which he played a charming (if profane) L.A. hustler. His next film was a more serious drama, Indecent Proposal (1993), wherein he was miscast as a husband whose wife sleeps with a millionaire in exchange for a fortune. In 1994, Harrelson appeared as an irresponsible rodeo rider in the moronic buddy comedy The Cowboy Way, which proved to be an all-out clinker. That film's failings, however, were more than overshadowed by his other film that year, Oliver Stone's inflammatory Natural Born Killers. Playing one of the film's titular psychopaths, Harrelson earned both raves and a sizable helping of controversy for his complex performance.
Following work in a couple of low-rated films, Harrelson again proved his mettle, offering another multi-layered performance as real life pornography magnate Larry Flynt in the controversial People Vs. Larry Flynt (1996). The performance earned Harrelson an Oscar nomination. The next year, he earned further praise for his portrayal of a psychotic military prisoner in Wag the Dog. He then appeared as part of an all-star lineup in Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line (1998), and in 1999 gave a hilarious performance as Matthew McConaughey's meathead brother in EdTV. That same year, he lent his voice to one of his more passionate causes, acting as the narrator for Grass, a documentary about marijuana.
In 2000, Harrelson starred in White Men collaborator Ron Shelton's boxing drama Play It to the Bone as an aspiring boxer who travels to Las Vegas to find fame and fortune, but ends up competing against his best friend (Antonio Banderas). The film became an instant critical and box office abomination; The Washington Post's Rita Kempley spoke for the masses when she termed it, "As dull as the decor in a Motel 6." The actor temporarily retired from the big screen in 2001 and harkened back to his television roots, with seven appearances as Nathan, the short-term downstairs boyfriend to Debra Messing's Grace, in producer David Kohan's long-running hit Will and Grace (1998-2006).
After his return to television, Harrelson seemed content to land supporting roles for several years.
He reemerged in cineplexes with twin 2003 releases. In that year's little-seen Scorched, an absurdist farce co-starring John Cleese and Alicia Silverstone, Harrelson plays an environmentalist and animal activist who seeks retribution on Cleese's con-man for the death of one of his pet ducks. Unsurprisingly, most American critics didn't even bother reviewing the film, and it saw extremely limited release. Harrelson contributed a cameo to the same year's Jack Nicholson/Adam Sandler vehicle Anger Mangement, and a supporting role to 2004's critically-panned Spike Lee opus She Hate Me. The tepid response to these films mirrored those directed at After the Sunset (2004), Brett Ratner's homage to Alfred Hitchcock. Harrelson stars in the diamond heist picture as federal agent Stan Lloyd, opposite Pierce Brosnan's master thief Max Burdett.
Audiences had three chances to catch Harrelson through the end of 2005; these included Mark Mylod's barely-released, Fargo-esque crime comedy The Big White , with Robin Williams and Holly Hunter; Niki Caro's October 2005 sexual harrassment docudrama North Country, starring Charlize Theron; and the gifted Jane Anderson's period drama Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio. In the latter, Harrelson plays, Leo 'Kelly' Ryan, the drunken, increasingly violent husband of lead Julianne Moore, who manages to hold her family together with a steady stream of sweepstakes wins in the mid-fifties, as alcoholism and the financial burden of ten children threaten to either tear the family apart or send it skidding into abject poverty.
Harrelson then joined the cast of maestro auteur Robert Altman's ensemble comedy-drama A Prairie Home Companion (2006), a valentine to Garrison Keillor's decades-old radio program with a strong ensemble cast that includes Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan and Kevin Kline. As Dusty, a lasso-swinging cowboy and one-half of a two-man comedy team (opposite John C. Reilly's Lefty), Harrelson pulled elements from his down-to-earth Woody Boyd character and charmed everyone. He also works wonders as a key contributor to the same year's Richard Linklater sci-fi thriller Through a Scanner Darkly, an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's 1977 novel that, like one of the director's previous efforts, 2001's Waking Life, uses rotoscoping to animate over live-action footage. It opened in July 2006 to uniformly strong reviews. As Ernie Luckman, one of the junkie hangers-on at Robert Arctor's (Keanu Reeves) home, Harrelson contributes an effective level of despondency to his character, amid a first-rate cast.
After Harrelson shot Prairie and Scanner, the trades announced that he had signed up to star in Paul Schrader's first UK-produced feature, Walker, to co-star Kristin Scott-Thomas, Lauren Bacall, Ned Beatty, Lily Tomlin and Willem Dafoe. Harrelson portrays the lead, a Washington, D.C.-based female escort; Schrader informed the trades that he envisions the character as something similar to what American Gigolo's Julian Kaye would become in middle-age. Shooting began in March 2006. He also signed on, in June of the same year, to join the cast of the Coen Bros.' 2007 release No Country for Old Men. Adapted from the novel by Cormac McCarthy (All the Pretty Horses) and set in 1980, the picture co-stars Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin, and tells the story of Llellwyn Moss, a happily married Vietnam vet who stumbles onto several corpses - and $2.4 million in cash - while hunting for antelope in south Texas. He collects the cash, only to be pursued by a special forces agent and a psychotic murderer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
| Filmography: Woody Harrelson |
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Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Buy this Movie |
| Wikipedia: Woody Harrelson |
| Woody Harrelson | |
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 Woody Harrelson, April 2007 |
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| Born | Woodrow Tracy Harrelson July 23, 1961 Midland, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Spouse(s) | Nancy Simon (1985–1986) Laura Louie (2008–present) |
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor.
Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd. Notable film characters include basketball hustler Billy Hoyle in White Men Can't Jump, bowler Roy Munson in Kingpin, serial killer Mickey Knox in Natural Born Killers, magazine publisher Larry Flynt in The People vs. Larry Flynt, country singer Dusty in A Prairie Home Companion, bounty hunter Carson Wells in No Country for Old Men, Tallahassee in Zombieland, blind piano player/meat salesman in Seven Pounds and as Charlie Frost in the movie 2012.
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Early life
Harrelson was born in Midland, Texas, the son of Diane Lou (née Oswald) and Charles Voyde Harrelson, who divorced in 1964; he has two brothers, Jordan and Brett, the latter of whom is a professional motorcycle racer. In 1979, in San Antonio, Federal Judge John H. Wood, Jr. was shot and killed by rifle fire. Woody's father Charles Harrelson, who was a freelance contract killer, was arrested for the killing.[1] He was convicted and eventually died during his life sentence in maximum security prison.[1] Harrelson shares his birthday with his father.
Harrelson grew up in Lebanon, Ohio with his mother. Harrelson attended Lebanon High School, working through much of high school as a wood-carver at Kings Island amusement park. He later attended Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He received a bachelor of arts in theater arts and English in 1983.
Career
Television career
Harrelson is widely known for his work on the NBC sitcom Cheers. He played bartender Woody Boyd, who replaced Coach (played by Nicholas Colasanto, who died in the third season). He joined the cast in season four and lasted eight seasons on the show. For this role, Harrelson has been nominated for five Emmy Awards, winning once in 1989. His character of Boyd was said to be from Hanover, Indiana, the town where Harrelson attended college.
In 1999, Harrelson guest-starred in the Cheers spin-off success Frasier, in which he reprised the role of Woody Boyd. Harrelson was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for this performance.
He appeared in several 2001 episodes of Will and Grace as Grace's new boyfriend.
Movie career
After the end of Cheers, Harrelson pursued a film career. His first movie had been Wildcats, a football comedy in 1986 with Goldie Hawn. Harrelson became friends with Wesley Snipes and starred with him in the box-office hit White Men Can't Jump and Money Train.
In 1993 he had a starring role opposite Robert Redford and Demi Moore in the drama Indecent Proposal. After that film's success, Harrelson played Mickey Knox in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers and Dr. Michael Raynolds in the Michael Cimino film The Sunchaser. In 1996, he starred in the comedy Kingpin.
Harrelson's career took off when he starred in the Milos Forman film The People vs. Larry Flynt, in which he played Larry Flynt, a pornographic publisher and founder of Hustler magazine. The film was a success and Harrelson's performance as Larry Flynt was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Actor. The Oscar went to Geoffrey Rush for his performance in Shine.
After that, Harrelson was cast more serious film roles. He starred in the 1997 war film Welcome to Sarajevo and also in 1997 had a featured role as Sergeant Schumann in Wag the Dog. In 1998, Harrelson starred in the thriller Palmetto and played Sergeant Keck in The Thin Red Line, a war film nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1999.
Harreslon made other films such as The Hi-Lo Country and portrayed Ray Pekurny in the teen comedy EDtv. Also in 1999, he appeared as boxer Vince Boudreau in the Ron Shelton film Play It to the Bone.
Harrelson didn't appear in movies again until 2003 when he co-starred as Security Guard Gary in the comedy film Anger Management. He appeared in the action film After the Sunset and the comedy She Hates Me.
In 2005, Harrelson was in The Big White and North Country. Also in 2005 he appeared as Kelly Ryan, husband of a contest-obsessed woman in the film The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. Harrelson made two films in 2006, the animated film version of Free Jimmy and also A Scanner Darkly. In 2007 he played Carter Page III, escort of privileged Washington D.C. women, in the film The Walker.
In the Oscar-winning 2007 crime thriller No Country for Old Men, Harrelson had a small but key role as Carson Wells, a bounty hunter. The film won Best Picture and Best Director for Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. Harrelson also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast, along with Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Kelly Macdonald.
In 2008, Harrelson appeared in several films, among them the Will Ferrell basketball comedy Semi-Pro and the Will Smith stark drama Seven Pounds. In 2009, he co-starred in the horror comedy Zombieland. His upcoming projects include The Messenger, Defendor, Pinkville, The Other Side, Bunrako and 2012 as Charlie Frost, a man who warns everyone about the end of the world. The film is directed by Roland Emmerich. All have been scheduled for release in 2009.
Stage career
In 1999 Harrelson directed his own play, Furthest from the Sun, at the theater de la Juene Luene in Minneapolis. He followed next in Roundabout's Broadway rival at the N. Richard Nash played The Rainmaker in 2000, Sam Shepard's The Late Henry Moss in 2001, Joan Kolvenbach's On an Average Day opposite Kyle MacLachlan in London's West End in the fall of 2002, and in the summer of 2003, Harrelson directed the Toronto premiere of Kenneth Lonergang's This is Our Youth at the Berkley Street Theater. In the winter of 2005/2006 Harrelson returned to London's West End, starring in Tennessee Williams' Night of the Iguana at the Lyric Theater.
Personal life
In 1985, Harrelson married Nancy Simon, daughter of playwright Neil Simon, in Tijuana. The two intended to divorce the following day, but the storefront marriage/divorce parlor was closed when they had returned to it, and the two remained married for ten months.[2]
On December 28, 2008, Harrelson married Laura Louie, his girlfriend since 1987. The couple have three daughters, Deni Montana (born February 28, 1993), Zoe Giordano (born September 22, 1996), and Makani Ravello (born June 3, 2006). When announcing Makani's birth, the couple referred to the three as their "goddess trilogy". Laura is his former assistant and a co-founder of Yoganics, an organic food delivery service.[3]
Harrelson's father, a convicted career criminal and hitman, died in Federal Supermax Prison. Harrelson tried to have his father's final conviction for murdering a federal judge reversed, but failed. His father was convicted of murder for hire once before which was related to illegal drug sales, an event which occurred in the late 1960's.
Activist work
Harrelson is a supporter and an activist for the legalization of marijuana and hemp.[4] On June 1, 1996, he was arrested in Lee County, Kentucky after he symbolically planted four hemp seeds to challenge the state law which did not distinguish between industrial hemp and marijuana. Harrelson won the case. Since 2003, Harrelson serves as a member on NORML's advisory board.[5]
Harrelson is also an environmental activist. He once scaled the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco with members of North Coast Earth First! group to unfurl a banner that read, "Hurwitz, Aren't ancient redwoods more precious than gold?" in protest of Maxxam Inc/PALCO CEO Charles Hurwitz, who once stated, "He who has the gold, makes the rules".[4][citation needed]
He once traveled to the west coast in the U.S. on a bike and a domino caravan with a hemp oil-fueled biodiesel bus (the subject of the independent documentary, Go Further) and narrated the documentary Grass. Harrelson briefly owned an oxygen bar in West Hollywood called "O2". He is a peace activist and has often spoken publicly against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Harrelson is also a vegan and raw foodist. He did not eat Twinkies for his movie Zombieland, replacing them with vegan faux-Twinkies made from cornmeal.[6] In October 2009, he was conferred an honorary degree by York University for his contributions in the fields of environmental education, sustainability, and activism[7].
He now lives on Maui, Hawaii in a mostly self-sustained community.
Filmography
References
- ^ a b "Woody Harrelson's Father Dies in Prison". Associated Press (ABC News). 2007-05-21. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2969564&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312.
- ^ "Woody Harrelson". hollywood.com. 2007. http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Woody_Harrelson/196697. Retrieved 2007-09-09. "whimsically married in Tijuana in 1985 intending to divorce the following day, but when the couple returned to the storefront marriage/divorce parlor, they found it closed because it was Sunday; marriage lasted 10 months; Harrelson would later tell USA TODAY's Tom Green, "We had to get a summary dissolution through Jacoby and Meyers. I think at the time Neil was a little bit worried I might try to go after her money."
- ^ "Woody Harrelson Gets Married in Hawaii". US Weekly. 2008. http://www.usmagazine.com/news/woody-harrelson-gets-married. Retrieved 2008-12-30. "wife Laura Louie: born c. 1965; co-founded Yoganics, an organic food home delivery service in 1996"
- ^ a b "Woody Harrelson – Cannabis activist and personal freedom supporter". e-stoned.com. 2007. http://www.e-stoned.com/rec/79-Woody-Harrelson/. Retrieved 2007-09-09. "among other prominent activists opposed to marijuana prohibition. He has consistently lent his celebrity status to the cause of reforming marijuana laws. Harrelson Backs Medical Pot Growers in California"
- ^ "NORML Advisory Board". NORML. August 25, 2009. http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=5471. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIBQn3hZTN0&feature=sub Woody harrelson Talks About Eating Faux Twinkies. Jimmy Kimmel Live
- ^ Activist, actor Woody Harrelson receives honorary degree at York U convocation
External links
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Mentioned in
- The Young & the Tactless: Will & Grace (TV Episode) (2001 Comedy TV Episode)
- The Third Wheel Gets the Grace: Will & Grace (TV Episode) (2001 Comedy TV Episode)
- Woody Harrelson: Saturday Night Live (TV Episode) (1989 Comedy TV Episode)
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- Cool Blue (1988 Drama Film)
- Management (2008 Comedy Film)
- 911 Power to the Peaceful Festival 2005 (2005 Film)
- Zombieland (2009 Horror Film)
- Madame LaCarla: Cheers (TV Episode) (1991 Comedy TV Episode)
- A Fine French Whine: Cheers (TV Episode) (1991 Comedy TV Episode)
- The Cowboy Way (1994 Comedy Film)
- Transsiberian (2008 Thriller Film)
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