Piotr Dzieciol

Woodrow Tracy Harrelson, known as Woody Harrelson, is an American actor. He is particularly remembered for his roles in the 1990s films *White Men Can't Jump*, *Natural Born Killers*, and *The People vs. Larry Flynt*. Woody Harrelson was born in Midland, Texas. His father, Charles Voyde Harrelson (1938-2007), was a hitman who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1979 for murdering a state judge. Harrelson, his mother Diane Lou, and his two brothers, Jordan and Brett, moved to Lebanon, Ohio in 1964 after his parents' divorce. After graduating high school in Lebanon, he attended Hanover College in Indiana, where he studied Theatre and English. Harrelson gained fame in 1985 for his role in the television series *Cheers*. He joined the cast in 1985, replacing Nicholas Colasanto, playing the bartender Woody Boyd. He played the role for eight seasons. In 1986, he landed his first film role in *Wildcats*, alongside Goldie Hawn and Wesley Snipes. He became friends with Wesley Snipes, who was also starring in his first film, and they later appeared together in other films. The most well-known of these was the 1991 film *White Men Can't Jump*, where he played Billy Hoyle, a street basketball player. After this role, he began appearing in more significant productions. In 1994, he starred in Oliver Stone's *Natural Born Killers*, and in 1996, he played Larry Flynt in *The People vs. Larry Flynt*, receiving an Academy Award nomination. In 2003, he played a transvestite in *Anger Management*. In 2006, he appeared in the award-winning film *No Country for Old Men*. His performance as Tony in the 2008 independent film *The Messenger* earned him Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He played Haymitch Abernathy in the *Hunger Games* film series (2012-2015). In 2017, his role in *Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri* earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Harrelson, who identifies as an anarchist, is active in environmental and animal rights issues. He married Nancy Simon, daughter of playwright Neil Simon, in 1985; the marriage lasted 10 months. He has been with his former assistant, Laura Louie, since 1987. They married in 2008 and have three daughters: Deni Montana (b. 1993), Zoe Giordano (b. 1996), and Makani Ravello (b. 2006).