Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Woody Harrelson
open-in-new
<p>Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson (born July 23, 1961) is an American actor. He first became known for his role as bartender <a href="/facts/Woody_Boyd/9IS3qJye">Woody Boyd</a> on the <a href="/facts/NBC/zyfTYCvW">NBC</a> sitcom <i><a href="/facts/Cheers/dHTrwH9V">Cheers</a></i> (1985–1993), for which he won a <a href="/facts/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Supporting_Actor_in_a_Comedy_Series/bVu9ocMw">Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series</a> from five nominations. Harrelson received three <a href="/facts/Academy_Award/CwTxYuNQ">Academy Award</a> nominations: <a href="/facts/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actor/ESeGU7vo">Best Actor</a> for <i><a href="/facts/The_People_vs._Larry_Flynt/sglG3N1P">The People vs. Larry Flynt</a></i> (1996), and <a href="/facts/Academy_Award_for_Best_Supporting_Actor/ELmDBH4E">Best Supporting Actor</a> for <i><a href="/facts/The_Messenger_(2009_film)/g3vbafMN">The Messenger</a></i> (2009) and <i><a href="/facts/Three_Billboards_Outside_Ebbing%2c_Missouri/cBJKtelc">Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri</a></i> (2017). </p><p>Other notable films include <i><a href="/facts/White_Men_Can%2527t_Jump/BeBp1zH0">White Men Can't Jump</a></i> (1992), <i><a href="/facts/Natural_Born_Killers/3oCzyu5o">Natural Born Killers</a></i> (1994), <i><a href="/facts/The_Thin_Red_Line_(1998_film)/SaroaTgH">The Thin Red Line</a></i> (1998), <i><a href="/facts/No_Country_for_Old_Men/vvnU8gRH">No Country for Old Men</a></i> (2007), <i><a href="/facts/Seven_Pounds/FEMGtfY0">Seven Pounds</a></i> (2008), <i><a href="/facts/Zombieland/JebdzKzn">Zombieland</a></i> (2009), <i><a href="/facts/Seven_Psychopaths/BThE5Mac">Seven Psychopaths</a></i> (2012), <i><a href="/facts/Now_You_See_Me_(film)/TPCo41UW">Now You See Me</a></i> (2013), <i><a href="/facts/The_Edge_of_Seventeen/KemG6Rr5">The Edge of Seventeen</a></i> (2016), <i><a href="/facts/War_for_the_Planet_of_the_Apes/LAPqH1zu">War for the Planet of the Apes</a></i> (2017), <i><a href="/facts/Venom%3a_Let_There_Be_Carnage/2AN0KJFj">Venom: Let There Be Carnage</a></i> (2021), and <i><a href="/facts/Triangle_of_Sadness/mDRL5WTx">Triangle of Sadness</a></i> (2022). He also played <a href="/facts/List_of_The_Hunger_Games_characters/9csGk0vy">Haymitch Abernathy</a> in <a href="/facts/The_Hunger_Games_(film_series)/Hc0dh3Tq"><i>The Hunger Games</i> film series</a> (2012–2015). </p><p>Harrelson received further <a href="/facts/Primetime_Emmy_Award/4eAaPW0F">Primetime Emmy Award</a> nominations for his portrayal of <a href="/facts/Steve_Schmidt/xIg9XDvW">Steve Schmidt</a> in the <a href="/facts/HBO/gGSPvEEu">HBO</a> film <i><a href="/facts/Game_Change_(film)/W0FfzmsG">Game Change</a></i> (2012) and a detective in the HBO crime anthology series <i><a href="/facts/True_Detective/Q1v56VwX">True Detective</a></i> (2014). He also portrayed <a href="/facts/E._Howard_Hunt/p04nKv4D">E. Howard Hunt</a> in the HBO political limited series <i><a href="/facts/White_House_Plumbers_(miniseries)/6KLpj14X">White House Plumbers</a></i> (2023). </p>