Photo: Lester Cohen © WireImage.com

Born Woodrow Tracy Harrelson in Midland, TX; grew up in Lebanon, OH; educated at Hanover College, Indiana (theater arts, English '83). Blond, affable performer best known for his Emmy®-winning performance as the charmingly dim-witted Woody Boyd on the popular NBC sitcom "Cheers." Harrelson has played decidedly more serious roles in such made-for-TV melodramas as BAY COVEN (1987) and KILLER INSTINCT (1988). His career took a major boost with his first leading role in a feature, WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP (1992), which proved one of the surprise box-office hits of the year and a suitable showcase for his relaxed, offhand and self-aware charm. He enjoyed another popular (if not critical) success as a jealous husband with the fanciful romantic drama INDECENT PROPOSAL (1993) but had less success with the public in the standardized "buddy" movie, THE COWBOY WAY (1994). Harrelson was cast against type in Oliver Stone's NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994). As Mickey Knox, half of a murdering couple, Harrelson's still potent "nice guy" image helped audiences tolerate his character's brutal misdeeds. Other notable screen credits include THE PEOPLE vs. LARRY FLYNT and KINGPIN (both 1996), WELCOME TO SARAJEVO and WAG THE DOG (both 1997), PALMETTO, THE THIN RED LINE and THE HI-LO COUNTRY (all 1998), EDTV and PLAY IT TO THE BONE (both 1999), AMERICAN SAINT (2001), SCORCHED and ANGER MANAGEMENT (both 2003), SHE HATE ME and AFTER THE SUNSET (both 2004), THE BIG WHITE, NORTH COUNTRY and THE PRIZE WINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO (all 2005), A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION and A SCANNER DARKLY (both 2006), THE WALKER, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, THE GRAND and BATTLE IN SEATTLE (all 2007), TRANSSIBERIAN, SLEEPWALKING, SEMI-PRO, MANAGEMENT, SURFER, DUDE and SEVEN POUNDS (all 2008), THE MESSENGER, DEFENDOR, ZOMBIELAND and 2012 (all 2009), and BUNRAKU and THE OTHER SIDE (both 2010). His father, Charles Voyde Harrelson, has been convicted twice for committing murder-for-hire, once in 1968 and again in 1978, for the murder of Federal Judge John Wood. He is also believed to be one of "the hobos" taken away from the area known as "The Grassy Knoll" immediately after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, TX on November 22, 1963. Harrelson was briefly married (1985) to Neil Simon's daughter, Nancy Simon. In 1998, he married Laura Louie; they have 3 daughters and live in Hawaii. An outspoken activist for the de-criminalization of marijuana, he narrated the film GRASS (1999) gratis. He moonlights as the lead singer in the band Manly Moondog and the Three Kool Hats.  Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role 1996: THE PEOPLE vs. LARRY FLYNT  Nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role 2009: THE MESSENGER 2 nominations

theOscarSite Scores Acting Noms 2 Acting Awds 0 Act Cred 4 Othr Act Noms 2 Othr Act Wins 1 BP Noms 2 BP Wins 1 Othr Cred 8 12 Use this link to find out more about theOscarSite Scores. (# Nom Films 6 Total Noms 22 Total Awds) 4 View theOscarSite Score Sheet for this performer.