Woody Harrelson is known for starring in some of the biggest franchises, such as the DC Comics film Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage, and receiving accolades like a Primetime Emmy Award.
He is a versatile actor, and we’d think that the actor would have acquired the talents from his parents, but that’s not the case. Because his father was totally opposite of him.
The actor got to know about his father, Charles Voyde Harrelson, much later in life, who worked as a contract killer. That’s why Harrelson doesn’t like to talk much about his father because he doesn’t hold a pretty history that should be told.
Woody Harrelson’s Father Played No Significant Role in His Life
The former Hunger Games actor’s father was a contract killer. Luckily Harrelson didn’t turn out like his dad because his father never played a huge role in raising his famous son. During interviews, the actor often addresses his father:
“He didn’t see him as a father . . . . he never played a valid part in my upbringing.”
Harrelson’s father left him with his three brothers and their mother, Diane, in 1968, when the actor was just 7 years old.
The actor’s childhood was mostly spent with his mother, who worked as a legal secretary in Houston, Texas. Harrelson and his siblings relied on their mother’s wages and lived in poverty for years.
But despite this, it didn’t stop the star from succeeding. He graduated from Lebanon High School in 1979, then attended Hanover College with a BFA in English and Theatre.
Just a few years later, the actor got to star in huge television shows like Cheers and big box-office films such as The Messenger. Soon in no time, Woody Harrelson became a successful A-list actor in the industry.
Woody Harrelson Maintained a Friendship With His Criminal Father Despite His Wrongdoings
Woody Harrelson was 20 when he got to know about his father’s profession. He first heard the news about his father’s murderous lifestyle on the radio. Then the national reports soon surfaced about his crimes.
However, the son still saw the good in his old man despite all his father’s wrongdoings. His father was frequently in jail, but Harrelson spent “millions of dollars on legal fees, attempting to get a new trial for him,” convinced that the judge had been unfair in his ruling.
The Out of the Furnace actor admitted that:
“I was just trying to be a good son.”
While sentencing proceedings went on, he visited his father once every year up until his death. He also admitted that “he and his old man were pretty good friends” – shows that the actor isn’t anything like his father.
Source: The Things
