Woody Harrelson biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Actor. Born Woodrow Tracy Harrelson on July 23, 1961 in Midland, Texas, to parents Charles and Diane Harrelson. Harrelson's father went to prison on a murder conviction when Harrelson was only seven, leaving Woody's mother, a legal secretary, to raise him and his two brothers in Lebanon, Ohio. Harrelson was raised with a strong, spiritual foundation, which helped him earn a scholarship to Hanover College, a Presbyterian institution in Indiana.

In 1983, he earned a bachelor's degree in English and theatrical arts. Shortly after graduation, Woody headed to New York City to pursue a career in acting. His career began as an understudy in the Neil Simon play Biloxi Blues, and as an extra in various films and television shows.

Rise to Fame

Harrelson's big break came in 1985, when he was cast as sweet, dim-witted bartender Woody Boyd on the wildly popular sitcom Cheers, which was in its fourth season. Woody was an instant hit with viewers, as well as with critics. His performance earned him five Emmy nominations, including a 1989 Emmy win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Harrelson stayed with the show for eight seasons.

While still on Cheers, Harrelson also continued his work as a stage actor, appearing in the James Brooks play Brooklyn Laundry in 1991, as well as the drama Furthest From the Sun (1993), a play he both wrote and directed. Harrelson also took on some supporting and cameo film roles in films such as Wildcats (1986) and L.A. Story (1991), as well his first starring role in the comedy White Men Can't Jump, co-staring Wesley Snipes. But his film career didn't take off until after Cheers was over, starring across from Demi Moore and Robert Redford in Indecent Proposal in 1993. After the success of Indecent Proposal, Woody landed the lead in Oliver Stone's controversial movie, Natural Born Killers (1993), with co-star Juliette Lewis.

After starring roles in 1996's The Sunchaser and the Farrelly Brothers' comedy Kingpin (1996), Woody sparked controversy in the biopic The People vs. Larry Flynt. For his sympathetic portrayal of adult-film mogul Larry Flynt, Harrelson landed Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor. The film was lauded by critics, and boosted Harrelson to A-list actor status.

After that, Harrelson landed a series of more serious film roles. He starred in several political films, including the war movie Welcome to Sarajevo (1997), the political satire Wag the Dog (1997), and the award-winning war film The Thin Red Line (1998).

Continued Success

Harrelson earned the attention of critics again in 2007 for the drama No Country for Old Men. The film won Harrelson 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, including the comedy Semi-Pro with Will Ferrell, and the drama Seven Pounds (2008) with Will Smith. In 2009, he co-starred in the horror comedy Zombieland and the dystopian apocalypse film 2012. His role that same year in the critically acclaimed drama The Messenger earned him several award nominations, including Golden Globe and Academy Award nods.

In addition to acting, Harrelson has been an outspoken advocate for the environment. His activism includes efforts for preserving the California redwoods, involvement in the American Oceans' Campaign, and legalization