Woodrow Tracy Harrelson began his ascent to prominence in 1985 by joining the cast of the NBC sitcom Cheers. Over the subsequent eight seasons, he portrayed the bartender Woody Boyd, a character that secured his status as a television actor and earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1989.
Background and Education
Born in 1961 in Midland, Texas, Harrelson was the son of Diane Lou and Charles Voyde Harrelson. He spent his early school years at The Briarwood School before relocating to Lebanon, Ohio, in 1973. He graduated from Lebanon High School in 1979 and pursued higher education at Hanover College in Indiana. During his time at Hanover, he joined the Sigma Chi fraternity and studied theater and English, eventually graduating in 1983.
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Harrelson launched his film career during his tenure on Cheers, starting with the 1986 football comedy Wildcats. He gained commercial momentum with the 1992 hit White Men Can't Jump, which paired him with Wesley Snipes. Following this, he appeared in Indecent Proposal in 1993 and later took on significant roles in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers and the drama The People vs. Larry Flynt, the latter of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Diversification and Theater
His career expanded beyond traditional acting to include voice work, production, and stage direction. He appeared in the West End production of The Night of the Iguana in London during 2005. Later, he directed the play Bullet for Adolf, which debuted at the Hart House Theatre in Toronto in 2011 before transferring to an Off-Broadway engagement in 2012. Harrelson has also participated in charity athletic events, including the 2010 and 2012 Soccer Aid matches for UNICEF UK.
Awards and Later Roles
Harrelson has received multiple accolades throughout his career, including a 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and a 2009 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male. His later filmography includes performances in the Hunger Games series as Haymitch Abernathy, the Now You See Me series, and the HBO anthology series True Detective. He also portrayed E. Howard Hunt in the 2023 limited series White House Plumbers.
Fast facts
- Born: 1961, Midland
- Citizenship: United States
- Educated at: Hanover College, Lebanon High School, The Briarwood School
- 1989 Award: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Member of: Sigma Chi
- Notable TV role: Woody Boyd in Cheers
- Former employer: Kings Island
Questions readers ask
Did Woody Harrelson win an Emmy?
Yes, he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1989 for his performance as Woody Boyd.
Which colleges did Woody Harrelson attend?
He attended Hanover College, graduating in 1983, and Lebanon High School, graduating in 1979, as well as The Briarwood School.
Achievements
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series — 1989
- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture — 2008
- Worked as television actor, film actor and stage actor
