ACTOR · BORN 1961
Woody Harrelson
- Born
- 23 July 1961, Midland, Texas, USA
- Known for
- Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), Semi-Pro (2008), Now You See Me: Now You Don't (2025), The Man from Toronto (2022)
33 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Woody Harrelson (born 23 July 1961) is an actor best known for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Semi-Pro and Now You See Me: Now You Don't.
Woody Harrelson over the years
33 Interesting Facts About Woody Harrelson
Interesting Facts (9)
- #001
Was arrested in Columbus (Ohio) in June 1983, charged with disorderly conduct - he was dancing in the street, halting traffic; he later jumped out of a moving police van, laughing maniacally, and finally punched one of the two arresting officers to the ground.
- #002
Father Charles Harrelson (Charles Voyde Harrelson), who was a hitman, was arrested in 1979 for killing Federal Judge John H. Wood Jr. in San Antonio, Texas.
- #003
Big fan of Bill Murray. Bill appeared in Zombieland (2009) as a favor to Woody.
- #004
A jury in Beattyville, Kentucky dismissed a marijuana possession charge against him. He was arrested in 1996 for planting 4 marijuana hemp seeds in rural Kentucky and in his defence he said he was challenging a state law that makes no distinction between marijuana and hemp, even though hemp contains little of the drug found in marijuana and can be used to make a variety of industrial products.
- #005
Lovingly refers to his three daughters as the "Goddess trilogy".
- #006
He climbed the Golden Gate Bridge and put up a sign that read, "Hurwitz. Aren't ancient redwoods more precious than gold?" in protest of MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber CEO Charles Hurwitz, who once stated, "He who has the gold, makes the rules".
- #007
He has played the same character (Woody Boyd) in three different series: Cheers (1982), The Simpsons (1989) and Frasier (1993).
- #008
In 1991 he went to Nairobi, Kenya and lived in a tent on the outskirts of town for a few weeks to experience Africa and get away from it all.
- #009
Was a singer with the group Madly Moondog and the Three Kool Kats.
Production Story (2)
- #010
He wanted to play Jake Brigance in A Time to Kill (1996), but author John Grisham objected to his casting.
- #011
He was sued by MGM for dropping out of playing the brother in Benny & Joon when he was offered Indecent Proposal.
Career & Awards (9)
- #012
He attended the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
- #013
He attended the 32nd Annual Toronto International Film Festival in Canada.
- #014
He attended the 2008 Cannes Film Festival in France.
- #015
He attended the 56th Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany.
- #016
He is the first and, as of 2005, only regular cast member from Cheers (1982) to receive a nomination for an Academy Award.
- #017
He has worked with 8 directors who have won a Best Director Oscar: James L. Brooks, Oliver Stone, Michael Cimino, Miloš Forman, Barry Levinson, Ron Howard, and Joel Coen & Ethan Coen.
- #018
He attended the 2009 Comic-Con International in San Diego, California.
- #019
The longest he has gone without an Oscar nomination is the 13 years between The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) and The Messenger (2009).
- #020
Both he and his Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) co-star Sam Rockwell were nominated for an Oscar for their performances, and Harrelson voted for Rockwell over himself.
Life & Family (13)
- #021
He was arrested in Columbus, Ohio, in June 1983 and charged with disorderly conduct after he was dancing in the street and halting traffic. He later jumped out of a moving police van, laughing maniacally, and finally punched one of the two arresting officers to the ground.
- #022
Woody and approximately a dozen other hemp activists and environmentalists took a bicycle tour down the west coast of America, starting in Seattle, Washington, and 1000 miles later ending at the University of Santa Barbara in California. The tour was escorted by the Mothership, a Chicago city transit bus fueled by hemp oil and powered by solar panels. The journey was documented in the film Go Further (2003).
- #023
He considers Howard Zinn to be a personal hero of his.
- #024
He is a big fan of Bill Murray. Bill appeared in Zombieland (2009) as a favor to Woody.
- #025
He climbed the Golden Gate Bridge and put up a sign that read, "Hurwitz. Aren't ancient redwoods more precious than gold?" in protest of MAXXAM/Pacific Lumber CEO Charles Hurwitz, who once stated, "He who has the gold, makes the rules".
- #026
He lives with Laura Louie and their children in Costa Rica.
- #027
His friends Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber and Jim 'Soni' Sonefeld of the rock band Hootie & the Blowfish wrote the song "Woody" about him. The number can be found on the group's eponymous 2003 album.
- #028
A jury in Beattyville, Kentucky, dismissed a marijuana possession charge against him. He was arrested in 1996 for planting 4 marijuana hemp seeds in rural Kentucky, and in his defense he said he was challenging a state law that makes no distinction between marijuana and hemp, even though hemp contains little of the drug found in marijuana and can be used to make a variety of industrial products.
- #029
He is a close friend of Michael J. Fox.
- #030
His ancestry includes English, Scottish, German, and distant Dutch and Welsh.
- #031
He is the ex-son-in-law of playwright Neil Simon, and one of Woody's first plays was Simon's "Biloxi Blues" in 1984.
- #032
He maintains his residence on Hana in Maui, and his neighbors include Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson. The three have been known to play poker together.
- #033
Was sued by MGM for dropping out of playing the brother in 'Benny and June' when he was offered 'Indecent Proposal'.
Related pages
- Seven Pounds — Woody Harrelson comes up in the facts on that page
- Idle Hands — Woody Harrelson comes up in the facts on that page
- Ted — Woody Harrelson comes up in the facts on that page
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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