Woody Harrelson
A versatile actor who leapt from sitcom charm to raw, Oscar-nominated intensity, never losing his offbeat charisma or activist edge.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American actor·Birthday: July 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Woody Harrelson's career is a study in deliberate reinvention. He first captured America's heart as the sweetly naive bartender Woody Boyd on 'Cheers,' an role that earned him an Emmy but also threatened to typecast him. He shattered that image with a ferocious turn as violent sociopath Mickey Knox in 'Natural Born Killers,' signaling a hunger for darker, more complex material. This led to a trio of Oscar-nominated performances: as pornographer Larry Flynt, a military casualty notification officer, and a grieving, vengeful father in 'Three Billboards.' Off-screen, Harrelson is a dedicated environmentalist and advocate for legalizing hemp, often weaving his passions into his public persona. His path reflects a conscious choice to balance blockbuster comedy with searing drama, all delivered with a distinct, laid-back magnetism.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Woody was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Woody Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Woody's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for 'The People vs. Larry Flynt' and Best Supporting Actor for 'The Messenger' and 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.'
- Won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on 'Cheers.'
- Starred in the massively successful 'Hunger Games' film series as Haymitch Abernathy.
- Has been a prominent activist for environmental causes and drug policy reform, particularly regarding industrial hemp.
Did You Know?
He is a licensed hemp farmer and helped launch the first hemp paper mill in the U.S. in decades.
He lived in a self-sufficient solar-powered community in Hawaii for several years.
His father, Charles Harrelson, was a convicted hitman who died in prison.
He turned down the role of Sam Malone on 'Cheers' before being cast as Woody Boyd.
“I think we need to start looking at the earth as a living organism that we're part of, not as a resource to be exploited.”
