Woody Harrelson Wiki, Biography
Woody Harrelson, an American Emmy Award-winning actor, is best known for playing the role of bartender in the BBC sitcom Cheers. In addition to this, he has been previously nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Actor for The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) and Best Supporting Actor for The Messenger (2009) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).
Woody Harrelson Height|Weight
Harrelson stands at an approximate height of 5 feet 8 inches and weighs around 65 Kg.
Woody Harrelson Age|How old is Woody?
Harrelson was born on the 23rd of July 1961, in Midland, Texas, United States. He celebrates his birthday on the 23rd of July every year. He is years old today.
Woody Harrelson Parents|Siblings|Relatives
Woodrow Tracy Harrelson was born to Diane Lou, who worked as a secretary, and Charles Voyde Harrelson, a convicted hitman. He grew up in a Presbyterian household with his two brothers, Jordan and Brett, the latter of whom later pursued an acting career as well. His father was sentenced to life in prison for the 1979 murder of federal judge John H. Wood Jr. Harrelson has said that he had very limited contact with his father during his childhood. Charles Harrelson later died on March 15, 2007, while incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility.
Harrelson was raised in financially difficult circumstances, with the family depending largely on his mother’s income. He attended The Briarwood School in Houston, Texas, before relocating in 1973 to Lebanon, Ohio, his mother’s hometown. There, he enrolled at Lebanon High School and graduated in 1979.
Woody Harrelson Net Worth|What is Woody’s Net Worth?
In the course of his career as an Actor, Woody has been able to accumulate a net worth of between $500,000 and $4 Million.
Woody Harrelson Partner|Wife|Is Woody Married?
In 1985, Harrelson married Nancy Simon, the daughter of playwright Neil Simon, in Tijuana, Mexico. The marriage was meant to be temporary, with plans to divorce the next day. However, when they returned to the storefront marriage-and-divorce office, it was closed, resulting in the couple remaining legally married for about ten months. Harrelson later married Laura Louie in 2008. Louie is a co-founder of the organic food delivery company Yoganics. The two first met in 1987, when she was working as his personal assistant. They live in Maui, Hawaii, and are parents to three daughters, born in 1993, 1996, and 2006.
Woody Harrelson’s Educational Background
Harrelson studied theater and English at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana. During his time there, he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity and formed a friendship with future U.S. vice president Mike Pence. He completed his studies and graduated in 1983. In addition to this, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters(DHL) in the year 2014 by Hanover College.
Woody Harrelson Job|Career|Biography
Woodrow Tracy Harrelson, born on July 23, 1961, is an American actor with a career spanning television and film. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of bartender Woody Boyd on the NBC sitcom Cheers, which aired from 1985 to 1993. His performance on the show earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, along with several additional nominations. Harrelson later gained critical acclaim in film, receiving three Academy Award nominations: Best Actor for The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), and Best Supporting Actor for The Messenger (2009) and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).
Over the years, Harrelson has appeared in a wide range of notable films across multiple genres. His film credits include White Men Can’t Jump (1992), Natural Born Killers (1994), The Thin Red Line (1998), No Country for Old Men (2007), Seven Pounds (2008), Zombieland (2009), 2012 (2009), Seven Psychopaths (2012), The Edge of Seventeen (2016), War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), Triangle of Sadness (2022), and Suncoast (2024). He is also widely recognized for playing Haymitch Abernathy in The Hunger Games film series, appearing between 2012 and 2015.
In addition to standalone films, Harrelson has taken on recurring roles in major franchises. He portrayed Chase McKinney, also known as Merritt McKinney, in the Now You See Me film series beginning in 2013, and appeared as Tobias Beckett in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). These roles further cemented his reputation as a versatile and charismatic performer.
Harrelson has also earned praise for his work on television beyond Cheers. He received additional Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his portrayal of political strategist Steve Schmidt in the HBO film Game Change (2012) and for his role as detective Marty Hart in the HBO crime anthology series True Detective (2014). More recently, he portrayed E. Howard Hunt in the HBO political limited series White House Plumbers (2023), continuing his strong presence in both film and television.
1985–1993: Cheers and early film roles
Harrelson became a household name through his role on the NBC sitcom Cheers, where he portrayed bartender Woody Boyd. He joined the series in its fourth season in 1985 and remained part of the main cast for the final eight seasons, continuing until the show ended in 1993. His performance earned him five Emmy Award nominations, with a win in 1989.
While still appearing on Cheers, Harrelson began to build a film career. His first movie role was in the 1986 football comedy *Wildcats*, starring alongside Goldie Hawn. He later appeared in the romantic comedy Cool Blue in 1990 with Hank Azaria. Harrelson reunited with Wesley Snipes in the successful sports comedy White Men Can’t Jump in 1992 and later in the action film Money Train in 1995. In 1993, he starred with Robert Redford and Demi Moore in Indecent Proposal, which became a major box-office success, grossing over $265 million worldwide. He went on to play Mickey Knox in Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers and appeared as Dr. Michael Raynolds in Michael Cimino’s The Sunchaser.
1994–2011: Established actor
As his career progressed, Harrelson continued to take on a wide variety of roles. In 2003, he co-starred in the comedy *Anger Management* as the character Galaxia/Gary. He also appeared in *After the Sunset* and Spike Lee’s *She Hate Me*. In 2005, his film work included *The Big White*, *North Country*, and *The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio*, where he played the supportive husband of a woman obsessed with entering contests.
During the winter of 2005–2006, Harrelson returned to the stage in London’s West End, starring in Tennessee Williams’ *Night of the Iguana* at the Lyric Theatre. He later directed *Bullet for Adolf*, a play he co-wrote with Frankie Hyman, which ran in Toronto in 2011 before opening Off-Broadway in 2012, though it was poorly received by critics. In 2006, he appeared in two films: the animated feature *Free Jimmy* and Richard Linklater’s *A Scanner Darkly*.
Beyond acting, Harrelson participated in Soccer Aid 2010 for UNICEF at Old Trafford in Manchester, scoring the winning penalty for the Rest of the World team. He reprised his involvement in Soccer Aid again in 2012. In 2011, he starred in *Friends with Benefits* and narrated the documentary *ETHOS*, which examines themes of modern society, power imbalance, and democracy.
2012–present: Career expansion and acclaim
In 2012, Harrelson took on the role of Haymitch Abernathy in *The Hunger Games*, a character he reprised throughout the film series until its conclusion in 2015. That same year, he starred as Republican strategist Steve Schmidt in the HBO television film *Game Change*, depicting the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. His performance earned him widespread recognition and nominations for major awards, including Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild honors.
Harrelson returned to television in 2014, starring opposite Matthew McConaughey in the first season of HBO’s *True Detective* as detective Marty Hart. The role brought him further critical acclaim and award nominations. In the years that followed, he continued to diversify his work, starring in films such as *Lost in London*, which he also wrote, directed, and produced, and *Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri*, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
He also appeared in major franchise films, playing the antagonist in *War for the Planet of the Apes*, starring in *The Glass Castle*, portraying Tobias Beckett in *Solo: A Star Wars Story*, and appearing as Cletus Kasady in *Venom*, later reprising the role in *Venom: Let There Be Carnage*. His later work included roles in *The Highwaymen*, *Midway*, and *Zombieland: Double Tap*. Harrelson additionally made multiple appearances as Joe Biden on *Saturday Night Live*.
In recent years, Harrelson starred in and executive produced the HBO political miniseries *White House Plumbers*, portraying E. Howard Hunt during the Watergate scandal. He also appeared in *Champions*, playing a disgraced coach tasked with leading a Special Olympics basketball team, continuing his long-standing pattern of choosing diverse and challenging roles.
Woody Harrelson Twitter(X), Facebook, and Instagram
Woody Harrelson happens to be active on his social media accounts. On his Instagram Account, he has about 3.8 M Followers, whereas on his Twitter(X) Account he has about 115.3 K followers, and 2.8 M followers on his Facebook Page. Below are links to visit his social media accounts.