How education and upbringing influenced the life of Woody Harrelson. A timeline of key moments.
Woody Harrelson is an American actor who rose to fame as Woody Boyd on the sitcom Cheers, earning him a Primetime Emmy Award. He has garnered critical acclaim and three Academy Award nominations for his roles in The People vs. Larry Flynt (Best Actor), The Messenger, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (both for Best Supporting Actor). Harrelson is recognized for his diverse acting abilities, spanning comedy and drama.
On July 23, 1961, Woodrow Tracy Harrelson was born. He is an American actor known for his roles in both television and film.
In 1979, Woody Harrelson graduated from Lebanon High School and spent the summer working at Kings Island amusement park.
In 1979, Woody Harrelson's father received a life sentence for the killing of federal judge John H. Wood Jr.
The novel "No Country for Old Men", released in 2005 and later adapted into a film in 2007, is set in 1980. Both the novel and film include a reference to the murder committed by Woody Harrelson's father.
In 1983, Woody Harrelson graduated from Hanover College with degrees in theater and English.
In February 1985, Nicholas Colasanto, who played Coach on Cheers, passed away, leading to Woody Harrelson's character replacing him.
In 1985, Woody Harrelson married Nancy Simon in Tijuana, a marriage that lasted ten months longer than intended due to logistical issues with their planned divorce.
In 1987, Woody Harrelson met Laura Louie, who was working as his personal assistant at the time. They later married in 2008.
In 1991, Woody Harrelson protested against the First Gulf War at UCLA and during a college concert tour under the auspices of "Woody Harrelson Educational Tours".
In 1993, Woody Harrelson and Laura Louie welcomed their first daughter.
On June 1, 1996, Woody Harrelson was arrested in Lee County, Kentucky, after symbolically planting four hemp seeds to challenge state law, and was later acquitted.
In 1996, Woody Harrelson and Laura Louie welcomed their second daughter.
In 1999, in Prague, Woody Harrelson drew against World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov in a chess match, employing the Parham Attack with assistance from chess Grandmasters.
In 2007, Woody Harrelson's film Battle in Seattle was released, depicting the 1999 World Trade Organization protests.
In 2002, Woody Harrelson was arrested in London after an incident in a taxi and a subsequent police chase. The case was later dismissed after Harrelson paid the taxi driver.
In 2002, Woody Harrelson wrote an article in The Guardian condemning President George W. Bush's preparation for a US invasion of Iraq.
In 2003, Woody Harrelson publicly spoke against the invasion of Iraq.
Since 2003, Woody Harrelson has served as a member on the advisory board of NORML, an organization advocating for the legalization of marijuana and hemp.
In 2005, the novel "No Country for Old Men" was released. Set in 1980, the novel contains a reference to Woody Harrelson's father, Charles Harrelson, who murdered John H. Wood Jr.
In 2006, Woody Harrelson and Laura Louie welcomed their third daughter.
In 2006, an incident occurred outside a Hollywood nightclub involving Woody Harrelson and a photographer, which led to a lawsuit being filed in 2008.
On March 15, 2007, Woody Harrelson's father, Charles Voyde Harrelson, died in the United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility.
In September 2007, Woody Harrelson attended the PICNIC'07 festival in Amsterdam, an event focused on creativity, science, technology, media, and business.
In 2008, TMZ photographer Josh Levine filed a lawsuit against Woody Harrelson for an alleged attack outside a Hollywood nightclub in 2006.
In 2008, Woody Harrelson married Laura Louie, whom he met in 1987 when she worked as his personal assistant. They have three daughters and reside in Maui, Hawaii.
In 2012, Woody Harrelson had a leading role in the acclaimed HBO television film Game Change as republican strategist Steve Schmidt working for the 2008 Presidential campaign for John McCain and Sarah Palin.
In October 2009, Woody Harrelson told Playboy that he began questioning the Bible's divine nature while studying theology in college and now describes himself as having "a strong spiritual life".
On November 12, 2009, Woody Harrelson had his head shaved on The Colbert Report.
In April 2010, the lawsuit filed against Woody Harrelson by a TMZ photographer was dismissed.
On June 6, 2010, Woody Harrelson participated in Soccer Aid 2010 for UNICEF UK and scored the winning penalty.
In June 2010, Woody Harrelson participated in Soccer Aid at Old Trafford in Manchester, scoring the winning goal in the penalty shootout for UNICEF.
In 2010, the events surrounding Woody Harrelson's 1996 hemp seed planting arrest were featured in the Michael P. Henning documentary film "Hempsters: Plant the Seed".
In 2011, Woody Harrelson appeared on a postage stamp as one of PETA's 20 famous vegetarians.
On February 3, 2012, Woody Harrelson participated in an "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit that turned into a PR disaster.
On May 27, 2012, Woody Harrelson participated in Soccer Aid.
In 2012, Woody Harrelson played in the UNICEF game, playing the last 10 minutes for the Rest of the World team.
In 2012, Woody Harrelson was named PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian, along with Jessica Chastain.
In 2013, Woody Harrelson condemned President Barack Obama for failing to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
In 2014, Woody Harrelson was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) from Hanover College.
In 2016, Woody Harrelson played the ceremonial first move for the World Chess Championship held in New York.
In November 2018, Woody Harrelson attended the first game of the World Chess Championship in London and made the ceremonial first move.
In April 2020, Woody Harrelson promoted a conspiracy theory linking 5G networks and COVID-19 on Instagram, which was later deleted.
In 2020, Woody Harrelson was seen practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu while filming and received the first stripe on his white belt.
On May 13, 2022, Woody Harrelson opened The Woods WeHo, a cannabis dispensary in Los Angeles, California.
In May 2022, Woody Harrelson stated he "doesn't believe in the germ theory" and found the use of face masks against COVID-19 to be "absurd."
In 2023, Matthew McConaughey suggested he and Woody Harrelson could be brothers, based on his mother's claim of intimacy with Harrelson's father.
In 2023, Woody Harrelson appeared to endorse Robert F. Kennedy Jr.