Woodrow Tracy Harrelson – that is his full name – is an American actor and producer. Emmy winner, multiple Oscar, and Golden Globe nominees. He became known to the general public after his roles in the films “The Hunger Games”, “The Illusion of Deception” and the TV series “True Detective”.
In the cinema, he feels in his native element. Talentedly copes with any genre, be it comedy, drama, thriller, or fantasy. He is presently one of the most famous actors in Hollywood.
Childhood and youth of Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson was born in the Texas Midlands in the summer of 1961. Parents Charles Harrelson and Diana Lou Oswald separated after the birth of their third son (Woody – the second). The future actor was three years old at the time. Woody had two siblings – Jordan and Brett. After the family broke up, Diana had to put three children on their own feet, but Woody is grateful to his mother that he did not hear a single bad word about his father.
At the age of 11, Woody Harrelson heard on the radio about the trial of a certain man – his father’s full namesake. Charles Harrelson was tried for the killing of a regional judge. During the investigation, it was established that Charles was a hired killer. Before, the man served as a punishment for a similar crime. This time, Charles received two life sentences.
Subsequently, the inmate wanted to escape from the prison in Atlanta, but the attempt was unsuccessful. It only led to the man being transferred to a higher security prison in Colorado. Charles Harrelson passed away in a jail cell at the age of 68.
Mom did not tell her sons the truth, they found out about their father from the press. 11-year-old teenager Woody Harrelson received a severe mental trauma that affected his psyche in the future. One way or another, Woody often visited his father in prison and treated him with respect, as he considered him a well-read and educated person.
Teachers complained about the conflicting nature of the guy, Woody changed more than one school. He shocked adults by dancing on the roadway, sowing hemp seeds in a garden bed, and organizing taxi races.
In the late 1960s, Woody Harrelson relocated with his mother and brothers to Ohio. The guy studied in high school, became interested in woodcarving, and moonlighted in the amusement park “Kings Island” as a messenger and handyman, giving his mother’s earnings.
After graduating from high school, the young man entered Hanover College in Indiana, where he studied English and theology. There he became interested in performing arts and for the first time entered the theatrical stage. Soon Woody Harrelson realized that the stage was his element. The guy transferred to an acting course and in 1983 received a bachelor’s degree in theater arts and English.
Films of Woody Harrelson
When Woody Harrelson, who performed on the theater stage, received an offer to join the team of the fashionable television series “Merry Company”, he was surprised, since he had no previous experience on the set. Nevertheless, for 8 seasons, until 1993, the actor was an integral part of the sitcom. Thanks to including Woody Harrelson, the serial film was included in the list of the 50 best TV series in the world of all time.
The actor also achieved success in full-length films. Woody played athletes in the comedies “Wild Cats” and “White Men Can’t Jump”, killer maniacs in the horror “Welcome to Zombieland” and the thriller “Natural Born Killers”, and musicians in the tragicomedy “Companions” and the drama “Seven Lives”. Harrelson’s creative collection contains images of cleaners, ladies’ men, rascals, prisoners, and radio hosts. The variety of the artist’s roles is unusual.
In 1986, Woody Harrelson appeared in the Farrelly brothers’ American comedy “The Cheerleader.” Viewers saw the actor in the guise of a passionate bowling player Roy Munson. Woody’s partners on the set were Randy Quaid and Bill Murray. Fans of Harrelson’s acting talent remembered the roles of boxer Vince Boudreau in the sports drama “Hit the Bone” and the bounty hunter Carson Wells in the thriller “No Country for Old Men.”
The film adaptation of Susan Collins’ dystopia “The Hunger Games”, in which Harrelson played the role of Haymitch’s drunken mentor Abernathy, is popular among young people.
In May 2013, the premiere of the detective thriller Illusion of Deception by the French director Louis Leterrier took place in America. Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, and Woody Harrelson played the main characters in the thriller. With a budget of $ 75 million, box office receipts from the box office exceeded $ 343 million.
A separate place in the creative biography of Woody Harrelson was considered by the first season of the thriller True Detective. His co-star turned out to be Matthew McConaughey, and together they created the perfect pair of detectives. Also in the series played Alexandra Daddario, who got the bright role of Lisa Tranetti.
In 2016, Woody Harrelson was filmed in George Clooney’s Suburbicon. In the same year, the premiere of the atmospheric western “Duel”, filmed in the best traditions of the genre, took place. Western conveys the customs and customs of the Wild West. The brilliant performance of Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth, who made his western debut, delighting audiences and film critics alike.
In July 2017, the premiere of the sci-fi film Planet of the Apes took place in the USA and Russia. The film was warmly received by the audience and film critics. It received a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was rated “Generally Recognized” on Metacritic. Harrelson played Colonel McCullough.
