Woody Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. Born Woodrow Tracy Harrelson in Midland, Texas, he grew up in Lebanon, Ohio. His father, Charles Harrelson, was twice convicted of taking money to commit murders,[1] including that of federal judge John H. Wood, Jr. His father for a time claimed to be one of the "hobos" taken off the "grassy knoll" in Dallas, Texas at the time of the assassination of President Kennedy, or even one of the shooters. Harrelson has frequently said that his father's past has colored his own present.

Harrelson attended Hanover College in Indiana, where he studied drama. After college, he moved to New York City and became an understudy in Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues . In 1985 he was cast as the innocent Midwesterner Woody Boyd on the television series Cheers. His first film was Wildcats with Goldie Hawn. His early films were forgettable, until he portrayed Michael J. Fox's enemy in love in Doc Hollywood . From there on, films have been Harrelson's career.

Harrelson has appeared in such films as White Men Can't Jump,The Cowboy Way ,Indecent Proposal and Natural Born Killers. In 1996 he starred in The People vs. Larry Flynt, for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Harrelson is an activist for the legalization of marijuana, and has been arrested several times for his activities. He is also an antiwar activist and has spoken out often publicly against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Harrelson, an ethical vegetarian, has also spoken out against animal experiments in the cosmetics industry.

External links

• VoiceYourself (Harrelson established this site)