Woodrow "Woody" Tracy Harrelson was born in Midland, Texas. His early childhood was marred by his father’s imprisonment for murdering a judge. When he was 13, his mother moved Woody and his two brothers to Lebanon, Ohio, where he got his start acting in high school. Harrelson attended Hanover College, originally intending to study theology, but graduating in 1983 with a B.A. in Theater Arts and English.

After college Harrelson immediately headed to New York City, and his career break came fast when he landed an understudy role in Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues in 1984 (Harrelson was married to Nancy Simon -- the director’s daughter -- for 10 months.) While in New York, Harrelson had the opportunity to audition for the role of Cheers’ naïve farm-boy-turned-bartender, Woody Boyd (the character had been named prior to Harrelson's winning the role). The genial goofball became a viewer favorite, and in 1989 Harrelson won an Emmy for his work on the show. He would reprise the character again on an episode of Frasier in 1999.

During his time on Cheers, Harrelson’s movie career blossomed. His first screen role was in Wild Cats and throughout the series’ 11-season run he divided his time between the big and small screen. Harrelson became a box-office draw when he starred in White Man Can’t Jump with Wesley Snipes. The pair would team up again in 1995’s The Money Train. His appearance in Oliver Stone’s 1994 film Natural Born Killers, where he and Juliet Lewis portrayed glorified murderous psychopaths, would completely erase the memory of his genial TV persona. Other notable film appearances include Indecent Proposal, The People vs. Larry Flynt, Wag the Dog, Welcome to Sarajevo, and The Thin Red Line. More recently, Harrelson has appeared in North Country and A Prairie Home Companion. On the small screen, Harrelson’s guest appearances include Spin City, Ellen and a recurring role on Will & Grace.

Politically outspoken, he is actively involved in many environmental causes, and has gained notoriety for his activism to legalize marijuana. He and his longtime companion, Laura Louie, married in 1998 and the pair has three daughters.